20/01/2026
๐ก๐๐ฟ๐ ๐ข๐ธ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฎ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ
Political commentator Nuru Okanga was facing three counts under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act (2018).
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ต๐ถ๐บ ๐ผ๐ณ:
โข Section 23 โ Publication of false information
โข Section 27 โ Cyber harassment
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป:
That Okanga circulated an online video through TikTok and YouTube accounts โ Riba News and Siasa TV KEโcontaining content said to insult President William Ruto and threaten public order.
๐ช๐ต๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ (๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐)
Trial magistrate Rose Ndombi ruled that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case, meaning the evidence presented was insufficient to require the accused to defend himself.
๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐น๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ:
โถ ๐ก๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ธ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ: Investigators confirmed they arrested Okanga in June 2024 but did not seize any electronic devices linking him to the alleged accounts.
โถ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ผ๐ณ: A state cyber-forensic analyst admitted he could not identify the owners of the TikTok or YouTube accounts, nor trace the source of the uploads.
โถ ๐ก๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐-๐ฎ๐๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐: DCI officers testified they lacked search warrants, forensic extraction reports, or verified digital trails connecting Okanga to the video.
โถ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฃ๐: The court invoked this provision of the Criminal Procedure Code, which requires an acquittal where evidence cannot sustain a conviction, ruling the case was based on suspicion rather than proof.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐
Defence counsel Babu Owino and Shadrack Wambui focused on challenging the foundation of the prosecutionโs case rather than the content of the alleged video.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐น๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ:
โถ Questioning the absence of digital forensic evidence
โถ Challenging the lack of court orders and verified investigations
โถ Arguing that cyber harassment charges require clear identification of both the perpetrator and the victim
The defence also raised the issue of who qualifies as a complainant in cyber harassment cases involving public officials, a point the court noted in its ruling.
๐ช๐ต๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
โถ Reinforces the evidentiary threshold in cybercrime prosecutions
โถ Highlights the importance of digital forensics and due process
โถ Sets a precedent on how online offences must be investigated and proven
๐๐ผ๐น๐น๐ผ๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ, ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐.
