Jayesh Saini, founder of Bliss Healthcare Limited. PHOTO/UGC.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Activist Nelson Amenya has triumphed in a defamation lawsuit against tycoon Jayesh Saini, with a French court ruling in his favour
- Amenya, known for exposing the failed JKIA-Adani airport deal, accused Saini of involvement in Social Health Act (SHA) alleged irregularities
- The court ordered reportedly ordered Saini to pay damages, with Amenya celebrating the verdict as a win for whistleblowers and transparency
By DUKE WACHIRA
Kenyan activist and whistleblower Nelson Amenya reportedly secured a major legal victory against tycoon Jayesh Saini. Saini is the founder of Bliss Healthcare Limited.
The tycoon was allegedly involved in the structuring of the Social Health Act (SHA) that has caused an uproar among Kenyans and is currently facing teething problems even after it was launched.
According to Amenya, a French court ruled on January 14, 2024, in his favour, dismissing Saini’s defamation claims and ordering him to pay damages for legal fees and wasted time.
Amenya took to his X (formerly Twitter) account, to celebrating the verdict. “BIG WIN!! Yesterday, 14 Jan 2024, the French courts ruled on my case against Jayesh Saini, and I freakin’ won the case. He has been ordered to pay me for wasting my time and legal fees!” He wrote.
Amenya is a Kenyan activist and whistleblower based in France. He gained prominence for exposing the opaque JKIA-Adani airport deal. His revelations led to the cancellation of the controversial procurement process that would have transferred control of Nairobi’s main airport to India’s Adani Group for some years.
Activist Nelson Amenya and JKIA-Adani airport and SHA deal whistleblower. PHOTO/UGC
Amenya also played a pivotal role in uncovering irregularities within Kenya’s public health sector under the newly rolled out health insurance under Social Health Act (SHA).
He revealed how shadowy figures sought to exploit the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), compromising the integrity of public healthcare services. Saini responded to Amenya’s disclosures by filing defamation suits in Kenya and France.
However, the cases were widely seen as an attempt to silence the activist and deter him from exposing corrupt practices. The activist had earlier appealed to Kenyans of goodwill for support, raising funds to cover his legal expenses.
On January 15, a group of frustrated patients, including a mother with a 3-day-old baby, disrupted a Ministry of Health press briefing in Nairobi, to confront Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa over the failures of the Social Health Authority (SHA).
The patients were upset by the system’s persistent downtimes and bureaucratic inefficiencies, which have prevented them from accessing necessary healthcare services despite having paid their premiums.