‘I Will Continue To Write,’ Blogger Nyakundi Defies KTDA CEO Muthaura Threats After Fresh Demand To Takedown Corruption Stories

Veteran blogger Cyprian Nyakundi has doubled down on his investigative reporting about the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), defiantly rejecting fresh demands to remove corruption stories after previously weathering direct legal threats from CEO Wilson Muthaura himself.

The latest confrontation represents an escalation in what has become a protracted battle between the controversial blogger and KTDA’s leadership, with Nyakundi showing no signs of backing down despite mounting legal pressure from multiple fronts.

The current standoff erupted after Nyakundi published a damning exposé in January 2023 linking CEO Muthaura to corruption and looting of funds at Kapkoros Tea Factory.

The investigation detailed allegations of irregular tendering, fraudulent land transactions, and embezzlement through the Bomet-based facility, with directors reportedly under investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

However, this isn’t Muthaura’s first attempt to silence the blogger.

In late 2022, KTDA and its CEO had already threatened Nyakundi with a defamation lawsuit through lawyers from JK Kibicho and Co. Advocates, accusing him of making “scandalous and defamatory” Facebook posts that injured their reputations.

The legal firm, led by lawyer Ramadhan Abubakar, had given Nyakundi just 12 hours to publish an apology and retract his posts or face court action.

“The contents of the Facebook posts and blog post are defamatory, a falsehood, inaccurate and made with malicious intent to paint our client in bad light,” the December 2022 demand letter had stated, warning of legal consequences if the blogger failed to comply.

Undeterred by those earlier threats, Nyakundi continued his investigative work, leading to the January 2023 Kapkoros exposé that has now triggered a fresh wave of legal intimidation.

This time, the pressure comes through Cyble Inc., which claims to represent KTDA and has accused the blogger of trademark infringement and spreading “fake news.”

Nyakundi’s response to the latest threats has been characteristically defiant. In a letter that has circulated widely on social media, he dismissed the legal challenges as “frivolous and legally untenable,” characterizing the trademark infringement claims as a “transparent attempt at censorship.”

“KTDA is a public institution, funded and owned by farmers, and therefore subject to full public scrutiny,” Nyakundi wrote in his response.

“Any allegations of corruption, looting, or mismanagement within KTDA are matters of legitimate journalistic inquiry.”

The blogger’s persistence has kept a spotlight on mounting controversies at KTDA.

His reporting revealed that CEO Muthaura was found in contempt of court in December 2022 for failing to reinstate two senior officials as ordered.

The investigations also exposed complex allegations involving KTDA’s subsidiary, Chai Trading Limited, and claims of below-market tea sales that have reportedly cost the agency millions of shillings.

According to Nyakundi’s reporting, Muthaura has consolidated power by replacing senior staff with “incompetent acquaintances” and has boasted of enjoying backing from high-ranking officials in President William Ruto’s administration, including Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi.

The repeated legal confrontations highlight broader tensions around investigative journalism in Kenya, where powerful institutions increasingly resort to various legal mechanisms to suppress unfavorable coverage.

The pattern of escalating from defamation threats to trademark claims suggests a coordinated strategy to silence critical reporting through different legal avenues.

Legal experts note that courts have consistently upheld the principle that matters of public interest cannot be silenced through misuse of various laws, whether defamation or intellectual property statutes.

The multiple attempts to intimidate Nyakundi may actually strengthen his legal position by demonstrating a pattern of attempted censorship.

In his response to the latest threats, Nyakundi referenced his track record of successfully challenging legal intimidation from powerful entities.

“I have successfully challenged larger entities than KTDA, and prevailed. I will not be bullied into silence,” he stated.

The sustained pressure on KTDA’s leadership comes at a critical time for Kenya’s tea industry.

With tea being one of the country’s leading foreign exchange earners and KTDA managing marketing for over 600,000 smallholder farmers, allegations of mismanagement carry significant implications for the agricultural sector and rural livelihoods.

The authorization of Cyble Inc. to act on KTDA’s behalf, as evidenced by an August 2025 letter from Group Head of Corporate Affairs Ndiga Kithae, suggests the agency has expanded its legal strategy beyond direct defamation threats to include specialized intellectual property enforcement.

As this legal drama continues to unfold, it has become a closely watched test case for press freedom in Kenya’s digital age.

Media freedom advocates are monitoring the situation as a potential precedent for how powerful institutions might use multiple legal strategies to silence critical journalism.

For now, Nyakundi remains resolute despite the sustained legal pressure, declaring he will “continue to publish matters of public interest, especially when they concern public institutions and the livelihoods of millions of farmers.”

His defiance in the face of repeated threats from KTDA’s leadership has only intensified public interest in the allegations surrounding the tea agency’s operations.