The defamation battle between motivational speaker Robert Burale and radio presenter Alex Mwakideu has taken a dramatic turn, with the media personality mounting an audacious defence that has left legal observers stunned.
In a bold move that has sent shockwaves through Nairobi’s legal circles, Mwakideu has admitted to publishing the contested statements but brazenly challenged Burale to prove they were false, arguing that everything aired on his YouTube channel was already public knowledge shared by the pastor himself.
The case, which seeks Sh20 million in damages, hit an unexpected snag at the Milimani Law Courts on Thursday when the presiding magistrate raised concerns about whether the court had jurisdiction to hear a matter involving such a substantial claim.
At the heart of Mwakideu’s defence is a provocative argument that has placed Burale in an uncomfortable position.
The radio host points to Burale’s own book, “From the Strip Club to the Pulpit,” as evidence that the pastor has voluntarily and publicly discussed the very issues he now claims have defamed him.
“Both before and after the interview, he has published a book and voluntarily engaged the public in interviews, podcasts, and social media discussions, admitting, at length, the same subject matter he now complains of,” Mwakideu stated in his response to the suit.
The defence argues that Burale’s public persona and his deliberate choice to share intimate details of his past life undermine his claim of defamation. According to Mwakideu’s lawyer, Dudley Ochiel, the statements made during an interview with Mwakideu’s sister Rozina were truthful, constituted fair comment, and were made in the public interest.
“Where a defendant pleads justification, fair comment, and public interest, the court lacks jurisdiction to grant an injunction,” Ochiel argued before the court, adding that his clients were ready to defend their words in open court.
The admission sparked heated exchanges between the legal teams.
Burale’s lawyer protested that the defence had not been properly placed on record, complaining that confidential court directions were mysteriously appearing online before being officially issued.
“We are concerned that a judicial officer or staff member might be leaking information to the public,” Burale’s counsel told the court, hinting at possible insider leaks from the judiciary.
But Mwakideu’s legal team was having none of it. Ochiel countered that they had duly served all documents by email, saying, “It is true we were appointed yesterday, but we burned the midnight oil and are ready to proceed.”
Radio Presenter Alex Mwakideu.
The defence further contends that the content presented on the YouTube channel was Rozina’s personal testimony, which any reasonable viewer would interpret as her subjective account rather than factual verification by the host.
“The plaintiff has failed to demonstrate any irreparable harm. He remains a prominent public figure, continues to preach and appear on various media outlets, and has not shown any measurable loss of income or status,” Mwakideu argued.
However, Burale paints a different picture. He claims his Christian calling has been unlawfully hindered, and his future attempts to recruit and impact people’s lives as a pastor have been jeopardized by what he terms false publications.
“In addition to the extensive damage and disparage met, the plaintiff has suffered loss, embarrassment, distress and defamation of reputation, credibility and honour,” Burale states in his suit, adding that he has incurred tremendous costs explaining himself to right thinking members of society.
He accuses Mwakideu of breaching professional duty contrary to the Media Council Act and the Constitution, seeking not just compensation but also a mandatory order requiring the journalist to delete the video and offer a public apology.
Just as the legal fireworks were reaching a crescendo, the magistrate threw a spanner in the works by questioning whether the court had the pecuniary jurisdiction to handle a case seeking Sh20 million in damages, an amount that exceeds the Chief Magistrate’s Court limit.
“Before we proceed, your client is seeking general and aggravated damages of Sh20 million. This court’s jurisdiction does not extend that far,” the magistrate observed.
While Burale’s lawyer explained that the figure had been erroneously uploaded from an earlier draft and had since been amended, the magistrate maintained that the jurisdiction question had to be clarified first before any substantive orders could be granted.
The court consequently halted proceedings and directed that the matter be mentioned on October 28 before the Chief Magistrate for further directions.
“Since this court lacks pecuniary jurisdiction, it cannot issue any substantive orders,” the magistrate ruled, leaving both parties in legal limbo.
The case has captivated public attention, pitting a prominent pastor against a popular media personality in a battle over truth, reputation, and the boundaries of public discourse.
At its core lies a fundamental question: can a public figure who has voluntarily shared intimate details of their past life later claim defamation when others discuss the same matters?
Mwakideu’s defence suggests that Burale’s discomfort with public commentary does not constitute defamation under Kenyan law, especially when the pastor himself has made a career of discussing his transformation from a troubled past to spiritual leadership.
As the matter heads back to court for jurisdictional determination, legal experts are watching closely.
The outcome could have far reaching implications for media personalities, public figures, and the delicate balance between freedom of expression and protection of reputation in Kenya’s digital age.
For now, Mwakideu’s defiant stance remains clear: Yes, I published it. But where is the lie?
A storm has hit Kenya’s entertainment and gospel circles after flamboyant city pastor and motivational speaker Robert Burale slapped Radio 47 presenter Alex Mwakideu and his ex-wife Rozina with a Sh20 million defamation suit over a viral YouTube interview that he says “tore his reputation to shreds.”
In court papers filed at the Milimani Chief Magistrates’ Court, Burale claims the October 4, 2025 episode on Alex Mwakideu TV—dramatically titled “My Biggest Mistake Was Marrying Robert Burale”—was nothing short of a public execution of his character.
Burale says the interview painted him as “manipulative, hypocritical, a swindler, and homosexual,” a cocktail of allegations he insists are pure lies, deliberately concocted to humiliate him before his followers and destroy his image as a man of God.
“The remarks were malicious, reckless, and intended to assassinate my character,” Burale states in his affidavit, accusing Alex Mwakideu of acting more like a gossip peddler than a journalist.
He adds that Mwakideu never reached out to verify the claims or give him a chance to respond before releasing the bombshell interview and then made matters worse by urging viewers to “share widely.”
Burale says the damage was instant and devastating. His phone was flooded with calls, his social media pages trolled, and congregants left in shock. “It was a public lynching,” a source close to him told Kenya Insights, adding that the pastor was “deeply wounded” by the betrayal.
The pastor now wants the court to order the removal of the video, compel a public apology, and award him Sh20 million in damages for emotional anguish, reputational harm, and loss of credibility.
The case also cites a Radio 47 segment aired on October 7, where Mwakideu appeared to backtrack, claiming he was unaware of the full details of the interview before it went live — a statement Burale calls “an attempt to wash his hands after the damage was done.”
Rozina and Alex Mwakideu have been named as the first and second defendants respectively. The case has been fast-tracked, but the two are yet to file their responses.
The explosive lawsuit has lit up social media, with fans trading blame between the pulpit and the podcast. Some accuse Mwakideu of crossing the line for views, while others say Burale is trying to silence uncomfortable truths.
As the court battle looms, all eyes are on Milimani — where the lines between faith, fame, and freedom of speech are about to be tested.
Gospel singer Rozina Mwakideu breaks her silence on the “darkest period” of her life, exposing shocking secrets about her failed marriage to the celebrated motivational speaker
Twelve years of silence have finally been shattered, and honey, the revelations are more scandalous than a Nairobi housewife’s WhatsApp group chat at 2 AM!
Gospel artiste Rozina Mwakideu, sister to popular radio presenter Alex Mwakideu, has finally pulled back the curtain on her tumultuous one-year marriage to renowned life coach and pastor Robert Burale.
And let me tell you, this tea is piping hot enough to burn through your Sunday best!
Speaking candidly to her brother on Radio47, the usually private Rozina didn’t hold back, declaring without hesitation: “My biggest mistake in life was marrying Robert Burale, na siyo kwa ubaya!” She added with a chuckle that barely masked years of pain, “And the darkest period in my life was when I was with Robert Burale.”
But that’s just the appetizer. The main course? Well, buckle up, because this story has more twists than a Nairobi matatu route.
The Red Flags Were Flying Higher Than KICC
It all started innocently enough at the end of 2011 when Rozina, then living in Mombasa, met the smooth-talking preacher who would soon become her worst nightmare dressed in a pastor’s collar.
But before you could say “I do,” the red flags started appearing faster than hawkers on Moi Avenue.
The first shocker?
Burale had the audacity to ask his new girlfriend for a whopping Ksh 250,000! Yes, you read that right. Quarter of a million shillings! His sob story? Something about his father’s estate and an expensive lawyer. “I believe anyone who asks for money after meeting someone is a huge red flag, regardless of gender,” Rozina now reflects, probably wishing she’d listened to her own gut back then.
But wait, it gets juicier than a Nairobi gossip column on a Monday morning.
The Karen Captivity: One Month of “Celibacy” and Control
When Rozina told Burale she was coming to Nairobi to visit her brother Alex, the preacher had other plans.
Instead of dropping her at her brother’s place like a normal boyfriend would, he whisked her away to his family home in Karen.
What was supposed to be a brief visit turned into a month-long stay that sounds more like a gilded cage than a romantic getaway.
“We stayed together in one room, but nothing happened between us. We were both celibate. We slept in the same bed, and we stayed there for almost a month without anything happening,” Rozina revealed, probably still wondering how she didn’t see the forest for the trees.
But here’s where it gets creepy, fam.
Burale apparently didn’t want his new catch going anywhere. “Hakuwa anataka nitoke pale kwao. It is like he wanted me to be within his sight at all times. There is a day I decided to escape literally. Unfortunately, he knew about the plan and blocked it. He never wanted me to interact with my friends, family and all. It is like I was in prison.”
Prison in Karen? Now that’s a plot twist even Citizen TV wouldn’t dream up!
The Facebook Prophets Tried to Warn Her
While Rozina was busy ignoring every red flag in the book, complete strangers on Facebook were sliding into her DMs like concerned aunties at a wedding.
Women who apparently knew Burale were sending her warning messages, cautioning her about the man she was dating.
When she confronted him, he dismissed them as jealous haters. Classic deflection move, straight from the playbook of every smooth-talking charmer who’s ever walked the streets of Nairobi.
Despite the warnings from her mother, the Facebook prophets, and probably her own screaming intuition, Rozina walked down the aisle in August 2012.
But even as she made that fateful walk, something was off. “I was walking down the aisle, lakini roho yangu haikuwa pale. I was pinning my fate on hope,” she confessed.
Hope is a beautiful thing, but sometimes it’s also a liar in a wedding dress.
The Honeymoon from Hell: Ten Days of Celibacy in South Africa
Now, every bride dreams of a romantic honeymoon, right? Champagne, rose petals, you know the drill.
But Rozina’s honeymoon in South Africa was more like a spiritual retreat run by a confused monk.
Rozina Mwakideu.
Ten whole days in the Mother City, and the celibacy continued! “We spent like 10 days and we never had sex,” she revealed, probably still traumatized by the sheer absurdity of it all.
But here’s where this story goes from strange to “Jesus, take the wheel” territory. Rozina later discovered that their entire honeymoon wasn’t even paid for by Burale! Plot twist of the century, ladies and gentlemen!
A married woman – let’s call her “Christine” as Rozina did – who had been in her own marriage for over twenty years and was quite wealthy, had footed the entire bill.
And why would a married woman pay for another couple’s honeymoon, you ask? Well, hold onto your church hats because apparently, this Christine was pursuing Burale herself!
“This woman was herself married and had been in her marriage for over twenty years, and she was quite wealthy. She paid for our entire honeymoon, yet she was a married woman,” Rozina spilled.
“I found out through his emails, because I later got access to his passwords. He had written to her saying that his marriage to me was fake, that it was only for show.”
Can you imagine? This man told his side chick that his actual marriage was the fake one! The audacity! The sheer unmitigated gall!
The Laptop That Revealed Too Much
If you thought the story couldn’t get any more explosive, honey, you haven’t been paying attention.
Remember how Rozina got access to Burale’s passwords? Well, when she logged into his laptop, she found more than just love letters to married women.
“I managed to get a password to his laptop, and I bumped into a video of gay men in the act,” Rozina revealed, dropping a bomb that could be heard from Eastlands to Westlands. “I asked him about the video, but he lied to me that the video is not his.”
Now, we’re not here to judge anyone’s browser history, but finding explicit gay content on your supposedly celibate pastor husband’s laptop while you’re in a sexless marriage? That’s the kind of irony that would make even Shakespeare pause.
The Email That Confirmed Her Worst Fears
The laptop revelations didn’t stop at the adult content.
Rozina also discovered emails where Burale was telling multiple women that his marriage was just for show, just for his image as a pastor.
One particularly gut-wrenching email to Christine read: “He told her that the marriage was just for his public image because he was a pastor, but he said it was becoming difficult because, in his words, Rozina was starting to love him genuinely.”
Screenshot
Let that sink in. The problem wasn’t that the marriage was fake. The problem was that his wife was catching real feelings! You can’t make this up even if you tried!
When the Police Came Knocking
As if being trapped in a loveless, sexless, fake marriage wasn’t enough, Rozina found herself dodging debt collectors like she was in a Nollywood movie. “Cops started calling me because he used to owe people money.
I was caught in the middle of that. Walikuwa wananitishia kwa vitu ambavyo sivijui. Kuna siku nilikuwa kanisani, polisi wakaja wakitaka kunishika kwa sababu hawakumpata Burale.”
Picture this: You’re at church, probably praying for deliverance from your marriage, and the police roll up trying to arrest you for your husband’s debts. That’s not just drama, that’s a whole theatrical production!
The Kitchen Knife and The Breaking Point
The situation became so dire that Rozina fell into a deep depression. “Nilikuwa kwa depression mbaya sana. Nilikuwa kama zombie. I even contemplated just committing suicide,” she confessed, her voice probably heavy with the memory of those dark days.
One day, while Burale was out, Rozina picked up a kitchen knife and sat on it, pressing it into her stomach, tears streaming down her face. “I was thinking that I should just die, tears falling down my face,” she recalled.
When Burale came home and found her in this state, even he was shocked. He took the knife, led her to the bathroom, and for a moment, the facade cracked.
It was her third attempt to leave the marriage. The first two times, she’d tried and come back, determined to make it work. But there’s only so much a woman can take before she realizes that some things aren’t meant to be fixed.
The Great Escape
Finally, Rozina made her move. She called her brother Alex, and he came for her. “The day I left that marriage, I called you [Alex], and you came for me,” she told him during the interview.
“I had been trying so hard for this marriage to work, and in that period, these two times I tried to go and came back, I was really like I could die trying to make it work.”
For Rozina, leaving was “a matter of life and death” – and there wasn’t even physical violence involved. “People can be good and foolish, enter into situations which they shouldn’t,” she reflected with the wisdom of someone who’s been through the fire and lived to tell the tale.
The Aftermath: No Children, No Regrets
One silver lining in this cloud of chaos? The couple never had children during their one year and two days of marriage. “We never had any children, which, to me, I think is a blessing,” Rozina stated plainly.
And honestly, can you imagine co-parenting with someone who convinced a married woman to pay for your honeymoon while maintaining a sexless marriage and keeping gay porn on his laptop? That’s a level of complexity that would make even Solomon throw up his hands!
Twelve years later, neither Rozina nor Burale has remarried. But Rozina is crystal clear about one thing: “I can never go back. I was the one who left him.”
Burale’s Side of the Story
Now, in the spirit of fairness, it’s worth noting that Robert Burale has his own narrative. In a 2023 interview, when asked how he would react if his daughter came out as gay, he said he would “take 40 40-day fasts” and ask God to remove his pastor’s heart and let him be a parent.
He’s also claimed that he’s had open conversations with his daughter about sexuality.
Robert Burale.
Recently, Burale made headlines again by declaring on national television that “nobody is born gay” and that homosexuality goes against God’s natural order.
“Some of the people attacking me are mothers with children. Some people will still attack me when I talk about God’s order, that he created male and female. Nobody is born gay; you are born a man and will die a man. Same for women: you are born a woman, you die a woman,” he proclaimed.
The irony isn’t lost on anyone who’s heard Rozina’s story.
A man who allegedly kept gay pornography on his laptop while maintaining a sexless marriage is now out here preaching about God’s natural order and traditional relationships. You can’t write this kind of drama, people!
The Verdict
Rozina Mwakideu has spent twelve years healing from what she calls the darkest period of her life.
At 50 years old, she’s finally ready to tell her truth, and honey, what a truth it is! From the borrowed money to the Karen captivity, from the Facebook warnings to the sexless honeymoon funded by another woman, from the gay porn discovery to the suicide attempt with a kitchen knife – this story has more layers than a wedding cake at Safari Park Hotel.
“I have grown, I have healed, and I have moved on,” Rozina says now, her voice steady with the strength of a woman who’s survived a storm that would have broken many others.
But even in her healing, even in her moving on, one thing remains true: “My biggest mistake in life was marrying Robert Burale.”
And there you have it, folks. A cautionary tale about red flags, smooth talkers, and why you should always, ALWAYS listen to those concerned aunties sliding into your DMs.
Sometimes, the strangers on Facebook know more than your heart wants to admit.
As for Burale, well, he’s still out here preaching and making headlines with his controversial views on sexuality.
But now, every time he opens his mouth, thousands of people will be thinking about his ex-wife’s revelations and wondering what else might be hiding behind that pastor’s collar.
