A university student has been charged in Milimani Law Courts for a post purporting President William Ruto is dead, misinformation that was intended to cause public alarm.
David Oaga Mokaya, @bozgabi on X(formerly twitter), is accused of sharing a mock image suggesting the demise of the president.
The controversial post, which quickly went viral, featured a funeral procession with a casket draped in the Kenyan flag and escorted by military officers in ceremonial uniform.
Mokaya allegedly captioned the image to depict the president’s body being transported for burial. Prosecutors claimed the accused deliberately altered the date to lend the post authenticity, further intensifying public reaction.
The alleged offence took place on November 13, 2024 at an undisclosed location in Kenya.
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Appearing before Senior Principal Magistrate Benmark Ekhumbi, Mokaya pleaded not guilty to the charges. The court heard that his actions had the potential to incite fear and disrupt public order given the high profile nature of the subject.
The magistrate granted Mokaya a bond of Ksh100,000 or an alternative cash bail of 50,000.The case has been set for mention on December 4, 2024.
This incident underscores growing concerns over the misuse of social media platforms to spread falsehoods. With increasing accessibility to digital tools, such cases spotlight the delicate balance between freedom of expression and the responsibility to avoid misinformation.
By Jane Riana
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