Why Was Morara Kebaso Arrested By Police: The Whole Story

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 charge sheet, shared by Kebaso’s legal representative, provided more insight into the specific allegations. It stated:

The matter revolves around a social media post made by Kebaso on the X platform (formerly Twitter).

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:

Kebaso further alleged that this arrangement led to dire consequences for Langat:

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:

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.

The lawyer expressed strong criticism of the law enforcement’s actions, stating:

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.