For impersonating President Ruto, the instructor might get a sentence of up to 10 years in jail or a fine of Ksh5 million.
Following allegations of posing as President William Ruto on social media, a secondary school teacher could be sentenced to up to ten years in jail or a fine of Sh5 million.
With the username @Thief_5th, the suspect is said to be Titus Wekesa Sifuna. He is accused of creating a Twitter account using the President’s likeness and tweeting under the string ‘I Must Go.’
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Sifuna sent a number of tweets from the account that were critical of and disparaging towards the Head of State and his family.
The material was classified as incendiary, meaning that it had the potential to incite public revolt.
The articles are said to have stirred up a frenzy in the online world and sounded national security alarms.
The Mukhyia of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act No. 5 of 2018 is thought by the authorities to have been violated by Sifuna’s actions.
The willful publication of false or deceptive information that causes reputational harm or disrupts the public is forbidden under Section 23 of this statute.
If Sifuna is found guilty, he will be subject to a lengthy prison sentence as well as, at a minimum, a huge monetary penalty, or perhaps both.
The detectives said that the suspect was identified through a mobile number that had been used to post a few ads and then connected to the same social media account.
Through a digital route, the line connected investigators, ultimately resulting in the arrest of Sifuna at Bungoma County on April 18.
Further research also suggested a relationship between the instructor and a firm that sells Umbrella Trex Solutions.
Additionally, the police disclosed that the teacher resides in Kwale County, where he is reported to volunteer, even if he has not yet been located there.
They claimed that this increases the likelihood that he would abscond.
In order to conduct more investigation, the prosecution requests that Sifuna be held at Capitol Hill police station for seven additional days. The police want to go through his digital gadgets and request that X work with them to deliver account activity logs.
Wednesday will see a decision on his request for an extended stay in custody.
This has rekindled discussion about the freedom of expression and the legality of posting online remarks about well-known individuals.