The Milimani Law Courts has issued an arrest warrant for prominent blogger Francis Gaitho following his failure to appear for a scheduled court session on December 4, 2024.
The case stems from allegations of publishing false information, a violation under Section 23 of the Computer Misuse and Cyber Crimes Act.
WANTED
— DCI KENYA (@DCI_Kenya) January 2, 2025
Mr. Francis Ng’ang’a Gaitho, whose photograph is displayed below, is WANTED by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for various criminal activities.
The suspect had been charged with the offence of publishing false information in violation of Section 23 of… pic.twitter.com/xjPbdSm8EG
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Criminal Investigation Details
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has revealed multiple ongoing investigations against Gaitho. The charges include unauthorized sharing of a senior public officer’s personal information and dissemination of false information.
If arrested, Gaitho faces several counts of cyber harassment related to alleged defamation of high-ranking government officials.
Law Enforcement Action
The case files have been transferred to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for further review and direction. The DCI has issued a public appeal for information, stating:
“If you have any information that may lead to the prompt arrest of the suspect, please call our toll-free hotline at 0800 722 203 anonymously or report to the nearest police station.”
Blogger’s Response
In response to the DCI’s announcement, Gaitho has announced his intention to surrender himself at DCI headquarters on Monday, January 7, at 10:00 am, accompanied by his legal team.
He defended his actions on social media platform X, stating:
“I’m not a criminal. I’m not a murderer. I’m not a capital offender. I just tweet. Freedom of speech is a constitutional entitlement and I exercise it to the best of my ability.”
Claims of Political Persecution
Gaitho maintains that his case represents political persecution, arguing that:
“Other criminals are walking free out here but mine is political persecution because many of these cases have civil remedies.”
He further criticized the DCI’s public announcement, stating:
“This latest tweet by DCI is crafted to evoke fear and isolate me from friends and family as they know my lawyers and could have served them directly.”
Media Appeal
The blogger has called for media presence during his surrender, emphasizing:
“We hope you will be there to cover us. In light of all the abductions and enforced disappearances, media coverage will greatly assist in enforcing accountability from law enforcement agencies.”
