By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 20 January 2026 - Former Kenya’s Ambassador to Uganda Kiema Kilonzo has moved to assert his legal rights after issuing a 14-day ultimatum to Kitui East MP Nimrod Mbai, demanding a public withdrawal and apology over what he terms defamatory remarks touching on the contentious Mui coal mining project in Kitui County.
In a demand letter sent through Tom K’Opere & Company Advocates, Kilonzo accuses the UDA legislator of falsely and maliciously making statements that injured his reputation while addressing a public rally at Zombe market on 5 January 2026.
According to the lawyers, the remarks were spoken, published and broadcast to members of the public, thereby giving them wide circulation and compounding the alleged harm.
The dispute thrusts the long-running Mui coal saga back into the spotlight, highlighting how extractive projects in resource-rich but economically marginalised regions continue to attract political contestation.
For years, the Mui coal project has been a lightning rod in Kitui, raising questions around land rights, community benefit, environmental impact and the role of political elites.
As a result, any public claims linking individuals to the project tend to carry heavy political and reputational consequences.
Kilonzo, a seasoned diplomat and former ambassador to Uganda, maintains that the remarks attributed to him by Mbai are untrue and were made with the intention of lowering his standing in the eyes of right-thinking members of society.
The demand letter insists that unless Mbai publishes a suitable withdrawal and apology in a national daily newspaper within 14 days, legal proceedings will be instituted without further notice.
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The threat of a defamation suit adds to a growing trend of politicians increasingly turning to the courts to resolve disputes arising from public rallies and political messaging.
It also raises broader questions about the limits of political speech, especially when allegations are made in charged public forums without supporting evidence.
For Mbai, the ultimatum places him at a crossroads. Will he comply and defuse the dispute or he is ready to defend his remarks in court? Court option is move that could prolong scrutiny of both the Mui coal project and the political narratives surrounding it.
Either way, the confrontation reflects the high stakes that now surround natural resource politics in Kitui, where development promises, community anxieties and political rivalry remain tightly intertwined.
Kiema Kilonzo Gives MP Mbai 14 Days to Apologise for Mui Coal Claims
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