On Tuesday, activist Morara Kebaso found himself before the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi, following his arrest by detectives on Monday evening. The arrest took place at Kebaso’s office in Kahawa Sukari, a suburb of Nairobi, in what appeared to be a sudden operation by law enforcement.
During the court proceedings, the prosecution leveled several charges against Kebaso, with the primary accusation being cyber harassment. This charge falls under Section 27 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act, a law designed to combat online misconduct and digital crimes in Kenya.
The Allegations Against Morara Kebaso
The charge sheet, shared by Kebaso’s legal representative, provided more insight into the specific allegations. It stated:
“David Morara Kebaso alias Morara Kebaso Snr on the 28th day of September 2024 at an unknown place within the Republic of Kenya, jointly with others not before the court, while using the X Corp Account dubbed; @MoraraKebasoSnr, knowingly without lawful excuse, posted false information to wit…”
The matter revolves around a social media post made by Kebaso on the X platform (formerly Twitter).
Contents of the Controversial Post
In his contentious post, Kebaso made serious allegations involving President William Ruto and businessman David Langat. The activist claimed that President Ruto had persuaded Langat to lend him a substantial sum of money for campaign purposes, with a promise of repayment. According to Kebaso’s post:
“William Ruto approached DL Langat and told him he desperately needed more money for the campaign. DL Langat used his properties as security and took big loans to help his friend…”
Kebaso further alleged that this arrangement led to dire consequences for Langat:
“Right now DL Langat is being auctioned by banks and the person who is buying the properties is William Ruto.”
Concurrent Legal Proceedings
Interestingly, Kebaso’s court appearance coincided with that of Ferdinand Waititu, the former Governor of Kiambu County, who was also present at the Milimani Law Courts on the same day.
The charges against Kebaso came swiftly after his arrest, which was reportedly carried out by individuals believed to be detectives. The activist was apparently caught off guard at his Kahawa Sukari offices.
In the aftermath of the arrest, Kebaso’s lawyer attempted to follow the police vehicle to the Nairobi Regional Headquarters. However, the legal team encountered significant obstacles, as described by the attorney:
“They have restricted access and have strict instructions from the top not to allow any person to access Morara including lawyers, media personnel, and any other persons.”
Kebaso was granted a cash bail of KSH. 50,000. He will be back in court on 4th October to answer the charges against him.
Respect for the Constitution
The lawyer expressed strong criticism of the law enforcement’s actions, stating:
“The question is what type of police do we have here? They have no respect for the constitution, they have no respect for the rule of the law. The head is rotten from the Minister of Interior including all the officers that we have here holding Morara and we should condemn it in the strongest way possible.”
This case raises important questions about freedom of speech, the use of cybercrime laws, and the relationship between the government and its critics in Kenya.
