The Star management yesterday vigorously rejected TNA's criticism. On Wednesday the Star inserted a free 64 page booklet by Nowrojee entitled 'A Vote for Kenyans: the Elections and the Constitution."
The booklet was a collection of Nowrojee's regular weekly columns in the Star from 2012 and 2013. The TNA letter, signed by Legal Affairs director Jasper Mbiuki, claimed that the booklet was a "deliberate and careful timed pierce of propaganda aimed at stirring hatred against the Mt Kenya communities as well as the Jubilee coalition. The timing of its release is suspect; clearly aimed at affecting the general election."
"Nowrojee invokes every historical injustice, political assassination and negative aspect of Kenya's past in order to make the case that somehow they mean that Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto are unfit to hold office under Chapter Six of the constitution," said Mbiuki.
"With that as its goal, it is not surprising that throughout the work, Norwojee re-writes history and ignores logic and proven facts in order to make a case against the Jubilee Coalition’s Presidential ticket," he added.
The TNA took particular exception to Nowrojee's comments on the injustices meted out to Mau-Mau veterans and the assassination of JM Kariuki. "We call on you to immediately censure Mr Nowrojee as well as move with speed to prosecute him for hate speech," said TNA.
"Nowrojee thinks that his years of service as a lawyer give him carte blanche to do what he pleases without being amenable to the law. He must be dissuaded of that view in the most abrupt manner possible," declared Mbiuki.
"These columns have been published once a week for the last fifteen months. No-one from TNA has ever complained before. Why they are complaining now that Pheroze has collected them into a booklet of collected essays?," said Star Editor Catherine Gicheru.
"This complaint to the NCIC appears like attempted censorship which does not bode well for freedom of expression in future," said Gicheru.
