Student Arrested for Alleged Fake News About Ruto’s Death
A university student has been arraigned in court over allegations of spreading false information on X (formerly Twitter) about President William Ruto. The controversy revolves around a post featuring an image of a casket draped in a Kenyan flag, purportedly being transported by military officers in ceremonial attire.
According to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the alleged offence took place on November 13, 2024, at an unspecified location within Kenya. “The offence is said to have been committed on November 13, 2024, at an unknown location within the Republic of Kenya,” a statement from the DPP’s office confirmed.
The suspect’s actions reportedly contravened provisions of The Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act No. 5 of 2018. The Act stipulates:
“A person who intentionally publishes false, misleading, or fictitious data or misinforms with the intent that the data shall be considered or acted upon as authentic, with or without any financial gain, commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding KSh 5 million or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.”
In court, the student appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Benmark Ekhumbi, pleading not guilty to the charges. The magistrate set the bond at KSh 100,000, with an alternative cash bail of KSh 50,000. After spending four days in custody, the student’s colleagues raised the bail amount, securing their release.
A background check revealed that the student is a prominent figure on X, often using the platform to critique the Kenya Kwanza administration. The case is set to be mentioned again on December 4, 2024.
This incident follows another high-profile case involving Francis Gaitho, a social media influencer accused of spreading false information about the Kware killings. Gaitho allegedly implicated an innocent man and altered dates on posts to make them appear genuine.
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Student Arrested for Alleged Fake News About Ruto’s Death
