Nairobi: Gen Z Arrested over 'Must Go' Post on X Granted KSh 1 Million Bond
- A young Kenyan was arraigned at a Nairobi court on a miscellaneous application following his comments on the X social network
- Titus Sifuna is accused of impersonating President William Ruto on the platform and using the fake handle to post misleading information
- According to the DCI, the X user used his parody account to falsely suggest that Ruto was bowing to public pressure to resign
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Titus Wekesa has secured his freedom on bail terms after being detained for allegedly posting misleading information using a parody X account impersonating President William Ruto.
Source: UGC
The 22-year-old was released on a KSh 100,000 cash bail, with an alternative of a KSh 1 million bond.
How Gen Z impersonating Ruto secured his freedom
Milimani Law Courts Senior Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo declined an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to continue detaining the accused for five more days.
The DPP had sought to detain the suspect for five more days to allow the investigating officer to finish the investigation.
In his ruling, Magistrate Onsarigo granted Sifuna a bond of KSh 1 million plus one surety or alternative cash bail of KSh 100,000 plus one surety.
The matter will be mentioned on April 30, 2025
The bail was settled by the Defenders Coalition, a lobby group in Nairobi.
What charges did Wekesa face in court?
Wekesa, a Pwani University graduate from Bungoma County, used the parody name "I Must Go" and the handle @Thief_5th, Sifuna allegedly posed as Kenya's fifth president, claiming Ruto "must go."
Police Constable Peter Mwangi, attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), stated that the posts violated Section 23 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act of 2018.
The DCI accused Wekesa of spreading false information, misleading Kenyans into believing the president intended to resign, and posting disrespectful content targeting the president and his family.
Mwangi argued that the posts incited inflammatory responses, threatening national peace and security.
He emphasised that the presidency, as a unifying symbol, must be respected, and the posts amounted to hate speech capable of inciting ethnic tensions.
How was Wekesa's identity verified?
Investigators traced the X account to a SIM card registered under Wekesa's name, as confirmed by the National Registration Bureau.
Source: UGC
As part of the investigation, detectives planned to analyse the young man's electronic devices and obtain certified records from X account providers.
They also intended to visit his dwelling place in Msambweni, Kwale County, where he reportedly lived while making the posts.
Wekesa, who claimed to be a volunteer teacher in Msambweni at the time, was arrested last week.
Senior Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo approved the DCI's request to detain Sifuna for three days at the Capital Hill Police Station to complete investigations.
However, his lawyer, Kennedy Echesa, strongly opposed the application.
How Ruto cautioned Kenyans ridiculing him on internet
Previously, Ruto urged Kenyan youth to refrain from creating caricatures of leaders and AI-generated images depicting them in coffins, expressing concern over the trend.
The president has faced criticism from critics of his administration, who use the internet to advance their anti-government sentiments.
According to Ruto, the criticism is sponsored by government detractors to spread negative propaganda.
He warned that the behaviour of internet users to use caricatures and other demeaning images could escalate into acts of violence.
The president encouraged critics to channel their creativity into productive ventures that generate income rather than using it to ridicule leaders online.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
