Itumbi blasts Matiang’i in defamation rebuttal
Fresh from suggesting he’d survived an assassination attempt, blogger Dennis Itumbi has hit back at Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Fred Mataing’i via social media, by indicating among other things, that the high-ranking civil servant had no reputation to protect.
In a response to a threat by Mataing’i to sue him for defamation, Itumbi has also accused Matiang’i of ordering Immigration Director-General Alexander Muteshi to bar Deputy President William Ruto from recently traveling to Uganda.
Itumbi did not, however, substiatiate these claims.
“You are a highly visible public figure incapable of hiding under the law of defamation whenever Kenyans exercise their constitutional rights of opinion and expression on your suitability and expression on your suitability and performance,” wrote Itumbi.
Itumbi, who previously worked as part of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s communication team based at State House, has also accused Matiang’i of attempting to muzzle his freedom of speech.
The rebuttal comes a day after Itumbi, whose tweets are in support of Deputy President William Ruto, filed a statement at the Kasarani Police Station in Nairobi claiming his car was blocked by unknown people who later shot at him.
Matiang’i has in the past week threatened to sue Itumbi, whom he accused of referring to him as a ‘Ruaraka Thief’.