A judge has terminated a criminal defamation case against a journalist saying it was based on a law that no longer exists. Judge John Mativo on Wednesday said the decision by the state to continue prosecuting Star reporter Kurgat Marindany is an abuse of office. Aggrieved by the decision, he moved to court and filed a constitutional application challenging the legality of law on criminal libel. The court concluded that the invocation of criminal defamation for the purpose of protecting a personal reputation was 'clearly excessive and patently disproportionate'. Armed with this, Kurgat asked the magistrate court to drop the case against him but the quest was declined.

Source: The Star July 12, 2017 13:07 UTC