Kura boss battles Sh5.2m claim by social media account manager

Mr Mokua says Mr Kinoti owes him the money for nine months of account management, social media promotion, news publications, a tender application, Uber transport, and other expenses incurred while working for him.

Court papers show the deal was concluded through WhatsApp exchanges, in which the parties agreed about the management of Kinoti’s X account, though Mr Kinoti says it was an oral engagement.

The dispute is before the Milimani Commercial Court, where Mr Kinoti sued seeking orders requiring Mr Mokua to surrender the X account credentials and stop accessing or operating the account.

Mr Kinoti says he orally engaged Mr Mokua around June 2025 to manage, administer and operate his X account on his behalf.

He says Mr Mokua was responsible for creating and publishing content, engaging followers, monitoring interactions and managing the account.

“The engagement was premised on a relationship of trust and agency, whereby the defendant/respondent was tasked with creating and publishing content, engaging with followers, monitoring interactions, and generally managing the day-to-day activities of the account for the sole benefit and under the direction of the Plaintiff,” his pleadings state.

Mr Kinoti uses social media to communicate with the public, stakeholders and government agencies about official work. He says that Mr Mokua’s authority to manage the account was revocable and ended after he terminated the engagement.

He alleges Mr Mokua refused to surrender the credentials despite repeated demands. He says continued access could cause members of the public to associate statements made through the account with him and his office.

The roads agency boss says Kinoti says the agreed fee was Sh3 million, which he says he paid in full after an initial Sh2 million payment was acknowledged. He also seeks a refund of Sh75,000 he says was paid as a premium subscription charge for the X account.

However, Mr Mokua denies that the agreement was terminated and has responded with a Sh5.2 million counterclaim. He says that the agreement was written through WhatsApp exchanges dated June 17, 2025. He also denies promising to help obtain a verified checkmark on Mr Kinoti’s X account.

In his defence, Mr Mokua says Mr Kinoti is instead indebted to him for Sh5.2 million. He says he retained the account details pending payment for services.

“The defendant denies the averments and avers that there was no termination of the agreement as alleged by the plaintiff,” the defence says.

His counterclaim says the amount includes Sh200,000 monthly for nine months, plus transport and subsistence expenses incurred while providing the social media communication services.

It lists approximately 680 Uber trips to attend to Mr Kinoti, with each visit allegedly involving meals costing about Sh2,000.

His counterclaim includes a Sh200,000 monthly payment for nine months of X account management, transport and subsistence expenses, publication costs, a tender application and influencer payments.

Mr Mokua further seeks reimbursement for money spent engaging influencers to promote and boost Mr Kinoti’s X account.

The defendant lawyers initially demanded Sh8.1 million for services they said had been rendered.

Mr Kinoti’s lawyers responded that their client maintained the agreed amount was Sh3 million and that Mr Mokua had acknowledged receiving Sh2 million.

Mr Mokua’s lawyers later demanded Sh5.2 million, listing payments of Sh2.9 million between December 2025 and February 2026 in different instalments.

The demand letter said those payments were partial and Sh5.2 million remained outstanding.

The case is scheduled to be called again in court on February 18, 2027. Kinoti joined the roads authority in 2009 and became acting director-general in September 2015 before being substantively appointed in June 2020.