Kenya's first lady slaps official

A Kenyan broadcaster has lodged an official complaint after video images of the president's wife slapping an official were seized and erased.

Nation TV filmed Lucy Kibaki slapping the official during an independence day celebration at State House in Nairobi.

He had mistakenly introduced Kenya's first lady by the name of the woman widely alleged to be her love rival.

In 2005, Mrs Kibaki was accused of slapping a cameraman in a protest over coverage of her row with a neighbour.

This gaffe comes at a sensitive time as Kenya prepares to elect a new president in two weeks.

Embarrassment

When the official from the president's office mistakenly introduced the first lady by the name of the woman widely believed to be President Mwai Kibaki's second wife, Mrs Kibaki marched up to him and promptly slapped him around the face.

A cameraman tried to sue Mrs Kibaki for assault in 2005

In Kenya it is not unusual for a man to have several wives.

But the president has repeatedly denied that he has another wife, even though it has long been a source of speculation in Kenyan society.

Nation TV, one of the broadcasters covering the event, had its tape seized by security officials.

The slapping incident was promptly erased before the tape was handed back.

The TV station has now made an official complaint to Kenya's Media Council.

It is not the first time that the first lady has been steeped in controversy.

She found herself in the spotlight two years ago when she allegedly slapped a cameraman after storming into a newsroom to protest her treatment by the media.

The cameraman tried to sue for assault, but the case was thrown out of court.

This latest attack will be a source of embarrassment for President Kibaki.

In two weeks time he will fight for a second presidential term in what it likely to be one of the most closely contested political battles ever seen in Kenya.