Willis Raburu filed a lawsuit against Airtel Kenya for unauthorized use of his brand.
Media celebrity Willis Raburu has been ordered by the Milimani Commercial Court to receive KSh5 million from Airtel Kenya Limited in addition to further damages for using his trademark, “Bazu.”
Raburu thanked Hon. Rawlings Museiga for the latest magistrate’s court ruling, stating that it holds Airtel Kenya responsible for violating his registered trademark “BAZU.”
Willis went on to praise Airtel Kenya as a reputable company and brand, but he also underlined how important it was for him to protect his own identity and brand under the ‘BAZU’ trademark.
In his statement, the director of digital services and innovations at Cape Media further stressed the importance of respecting intellectual property and warned individuals who use the term BAZU without authorization that they will suffer comparable penalties, including the serving of legal letters.
On June 24, 2022, Raburu filed a lawsuit against the telecom provider for using his trademark “Bazu” to advertise the “Bazu Bundle,” one of the company’s new bundle plans.
Raburu filed the case at the High Court through his attorney Victor Orandi of Mathew and Partners Advocates; however, on May 9, 2023, the matter was moved to the magistrates court.
In addition, the court granted Airtel Kenya a 45-day stay of execution, with the option to file an appeal within the allotted time.
