Image of Tony Mochama

Popular journalist, author and poet Tony 'Smitta Smitten' Mochama was awarded Sh9 million in damages by a Nairobi court on Monday in a defamation lawsuit.

Mochama had filed the suit in 2015 after being accused by fellow literary personalities Shailja Patel and Prof Wambui Mwangi of sexually harrassing a woman at a poetry function in Nairobi.

He maintained his innocence, all along asserting that he was not even at the said location at the time of the alleged happenings.

Tony Mochama

“Much as they may prefer a trial through Twitter and other 21st century forms of witch hunting... Jesus was falsely accused and crucified.

"I refuse to follow his noble example. Slap me, but do not expect me to meekly turn the other cheek,” he previously stated.

The court further ordered Patel and Mwangi to furnish Mochama with a written apology within 14 days.

Mochama is well known for his popular column in Pulse Magazine which chronicles his experience of Nairobi nightlife. He writes three other columns for Standard newspapers as well.

He is a three-time winner of the Burt Awards for African Young Adult Literature and has published at least 10 books.