A Nairobi court has ordered blogger Edgar Obare to pay Sh6 million in damages for defamation and issue a public apology to model Bernice Nunah and another plaintiff over a post published in 2022.
The judgment, delivered by Hon. Hosea Mwangi Nganga on November 7, 2025, follows Civil Case No. E6364 of 2022, according to court documents seen by TNX Africa.
The court awarded Nunah and the co-plaintiff Sh4 million in general damages (Sh2 million each) and Sh2 million in exemplary and aggravated damages (Sh1 million each) for libel.
Obare has been directed to issue a full and unqualified apology, make amendments, and withdraw the defamatory publication dated December 22, 2022.
The court also issued a permanent injunction restraining him from further publishing defamatory content against Nunah.
Bernice Nunah is a prominent Kenyan fashion and media figure, known primarily as a top runway and commercial model.
She gained significant attention after competing in the Miss World Kenya beauty pageant, where she was named second runner-up for the 2019-2021 title.
Beyond modelling, Nunah is an entrepreneur and content creator specialising in luxury lifestyle, fashion, and travel.
Defamation in Kenya
Defamation is primarily a civil wrong, governed by the Defamation Act (Cap. 36), which allows individuals to sue for harm to their reputation caused by false statements.
The law distinguishes between libel (permanent forms such as written content) and slander (temporary forms such as spoken words).
To succeed in a defamation claim, a plaintiff must prove that the statement was defamatory, referred to them, and was published to a third party.
While criminal defamation penalties under the Penal Code were declared unconstitutional in 2017, the primary remedy in civil court remains monetary damages.
Common defences include truth (justification) and honest opinion (fair comment).
However, online defamation is treated differently under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act (CMCA), 2018. Section 23 of the Act makes the knowing publication of false online information likely to injure a person’s reputation a criminal offence.
This cyber-related offence carries heavy penalties, including a fine of up to Sh5 million or imprisonment for up to 10 years, or both, effectively reintroducing the threat of jail terms for serious reputational harm in the digital sphere.