A leading national daily is at loggerheads with Education Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i over a story alleging he has been in a relationship with a young church member.
The story done by the Standard did not, however, name the Cabinet Secretary.
But the Acting Interior CS through the Interior communications director Mwenda Njoka in a letter to the newspaper called for a retraction and apology within seven days.
Njoka cited that the reference of words like “’no-nonsense, outspoken and strong Christian” were referring to Matiang’i.
He also said the article had no “shred of evidence” to back the story.
“In an article previously published in your newspaper, you have used adjectives such as ‘no-nonsense, outspoken and strong Christian’ to describe CS Matiang’i. It is for this reason that we have reason to believe the CS your article was disparagingly referring to is Matiang’i,” read part of the letter addressed to the newspaper’s editorial director as quoted by the Star.
“The net effect was to defame and vilify an innocent public servant in the eyes of his peers, family, and right thinking members of the public,” added Njoka.
The article had it that the young woman in an affair with the CS is a soloist in the church choir and that she lives in a posh house in the city bought for her by the CS.
The story published by the newspaper also indicated that the CSs wife confronted the girl’s mother which later led to the young woman confessing.