A fresh twist has emerged in the controversy surrounding Kasarani MP Ronald Karauri after veteran editor and journalist Wayua Muli publicly criticised the lawmaker’s handling of allegations linked to an explicit video claim circulating online.
Karauri recently denied claims that he was involved in a compromising video and went further to offer KSh10 million to entertainment blogger Edgar Obare if the alleged footage is produced.
The MP has maintained that the accusations are fabricated and politically motivated.
However, in a detailed commentary shared online, Muli argued that the MP’s approach has worsened his position rather than protecting his reputation.
“I hope all you Kenyans who think that Ronald Karauri did a good thing by offering to bribe entertainment blogger Edgar Obare will come to your senses soon,” Muli wrote.
She disputed the narrative that Obare had threatened the MP. According to Muli, the blogger did not claim to possess the alleged videos nor threaten to publish them.
Instead, she said, Obare merely amplified claims made by another individual said to be the original source of the content.
“Because Karauri is a person of public interest, Edgar Obare was acting well within his right as a media practitioner. This is not a crime,” she stated.
Muli emphasised that sharing so-called “revenge videos” is a criminal offence under Kenyan law and carries severe penalties, including imprisonment and registration as a sexual offender.
However, she maintained that Obare does not have the videos and therefore cannot be accused of intending to distribute them.
Instead, she argued that if there is any grievance, it should be directed at the individual who allegedly recorded the material.
The veteran journalist further raised ethical concerns about the MP’s decision to publicly record himself offering money to a media practitioner.
“Karauri recorded himself attempting to bribe a media practitioner, which is a huge ethical breach, especially for a politician,” she said.
Muli also pointed to what she described as a legal complication arising from the MP’s own statements.
She claimed that in the recorded exchange, Karauri gave consent for the video to be shared. If that consent stands, she argued, the legal framing of the matter could shift significantly.
“If the videos come out, they will no longer be considered revenge porn but will now be considered a consensual share of intimate videos filmed by two adult parties,” she wrote.
According to her analysis, Obare now faces no legal risk in either declining the money or proceeding differently, since consent had allegedly been granted.
Muli added that the MP may have placed himself in a difficult position and suggested that pursuing legal remedies quietly might have been a more strategic option.