Kenyan athletics icon Kipchoge Keino has won a landmark defamation suit against the Nation Media Group, with a Nairobi court awarding him Sh4.5 million in damages over a 2018 article that falsely accused him of evading justice in a Sh55 million Rio Olympics scandal.
The lawsuit stemmed from a story published in a local daily in October 2018, which claimed the athletic legend was on
the run.
The report said Keino—a two-time Olympic gold medalist and former National Olympics Committee (NOC) chairman—was "wanted" and "nowhere to be seen" amid investigations into alleged misappropriation of funds during the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The article, accompanied by Keino’s photographs, implied he had abused his office, stolen public funds, and was fleeing authorities.
However, court records showed Keino was in Mexico at the time, accepting an award on behalf of Kenya’s disabled athletes team.
In a judgment delivered on July 4, 2025, Millimani Commercial Court Magistrate Rawlings Musiega found the publication defamatory, false, and malicious.
The court said the publication failed to verify facts before publishing.
The court heard that Keino, who was then serving as the honorary president of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK), was neither a signatory to the relevant accounts nor a recipient of the disputed funds.
Investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and subsequent review by the Director of Public Prosecutions cleared him of any wrongdoing, with all charges dropped.
While Nation Media Group issued an apology, it refused compensation, arguing the story served public interest.
But the court dismissed its defense.
“Being ‘on the run’ does not mean one is out of the country—it implies escaping justice. The defendant’s failure to investigate and its reckless language constituted malice,” the magistrate said.
The court awarded Keino Sh4.5 million for reputational harm, plus legal costs and interest.
The magistrate however declined to award aggravated damages saying no further harm beyond the initial defamation was proven.
The media company is free to appeal the decision whose execution has been stayed for 30 days.
Keino’s lawyer Cecil Miller expressed relief and gratitude, saying the ruling had restored his dignity after months of public scrutiny.
“This is not just about the legend Kip Keino but about the importance of truth and fairness in reporting. I am grateful that justice has been served,” he said outside the court.
