TYCOON MADATALI CHATUR LOSES CASE AGAINST K24TV

Kenyan tycoon Madatali Saberali Chatur has lost a long legal battle against K24 TV and several journalists after the Court of Appeal dismissed his case, originating from a defamation suit originally filed in 2011.
Chatur, a businessman known for his real estate and industrial interests, had accused K24’s parent company, Regional Reach Media Company Ltd, and the journalists of airing defamatory content.
Further, the billionaire accused journalists Farah Habib, Josephine Maina, and Maria Galang, among others of airing the content that linked him to terror-related narratives. However, on 31st July 2025, Justices Daniel Musinga (P), Fred Tuiyott, and George Odunga threw out Civil Appeal No. 543 of 2019, because of an incomplete record.
They also cited a lack of sufficient grounds to overturn the High Court’s decision to dismiss the suit for non-attendance.
Chatur’s legal troubles began in 2011 when he sued K24 TV (Regional Reach Media Company Ltd) and several public figures and activists, including lawyer Harun Ndubi and human rights advocate Al-Amin Kimathi.
He claimed that they had linked him to false terrorism allegations in a broadcast aired by K24. However, the case stalled for several years and was eventually dismissed by the High Court in December 2018, after Chatur failed to appear in court for the hearing. This despite multiple prior adjournments and warnings from the bench.
He claimed that he was unwell and had just returned from overseas treatment, but the court found no recent or compelling medical documentation to support that.