Former Internal Security Permanent Secretary Dave Munya Mwangi who was charged last year in Sh 350 M land fraud case now wants the court to bar the media from covering his case.
On Thursday, Munya put up a spirited fight in a bid to gag the media from the case arguing that only state-owned media houses should be allowed to cover court cases.
Through his lawyer, Munya says that he does not wish his case covered by media since it is not a matter of public interest further asking the court to issue an order to protect his image from ever appearing in various media outlets in the country.
It is his argument that freedom of the media in Kenya is one of the rights that can be limited under the constitution of Kenya and his right to a fair trial is superior to the freedom of the media in Kenya.
However, when he was put to task to provide evidence of any misreporting of the case by the media, he said he did not have any.
In response, the prosecution took the side of the media telling court that freedom of the media is protected under the constitution of Kenya and should not be limited without due cause.
The prosecution further said Munya’s case does not fall under the category of cases where media is automatically gagged from covering the case.
“Counsel has not tabled evidence to show how the rights to a fair trial of his client are prejudiced by the media.” The court heard.
Mwangi, was charged in December 2024 for fraudulently acquiring a 1.591-hectare parcel of land along Mombasa Road and forging the property’s title with the help of accomplices at the Ministry of Lands
The prosecution told court that Mwangi’s lawyer did not provide any legal basis why media coverage should be gagged or even limited before the court.
The court will rule on whether to gag the media from covering the case or dismiss the application on April 10, 2025.
