Days after Titus Wekesa Sifuna, who had been using his X account under the handle @5thethief and the username “I must go”, was arraigned before the Milimani Law Courts, a section of Kenyans has questioned the legality and motive behind his arrest.
The court was informed that Sifuna had used his account to post derogatory remarks targeting President William Ruto and members of his family.
According to the prosecution, the posts attracted widespread negative reactions and were deemed dangerous to national peace and cohesion.
Prosecutors argued that the content shared, including messages and images, amounted to hate speech and could potentially incite ethnic divisions among the public.
X User I Must Go Prosecuted in Court
The court also heard that the 22-year-old allegedly altered the account’s profile to display an image of the Head of State, which the authorities claim was misleading and harmful.
“The content of the X account poses a serious threat to the country’s reputation, as the President is a symbol of national unity and should be respected and honoured by all,” the prosecution told the court.
Court documents indicated that the government intends to charge Sifuna for publishing false information under Section 23 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act of 2018.
This law states: “Any person who intentionally publishes, broadcasts, or disseminates false information via print, broadcasting, data, or computer systems, which is likely to endanger or cause fear, disorder, or violence among citizens, or which could damage another person’s reputation, commits an offense and is liable to a fine not exceeding 5 million shillings, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years, or both.”
Also Read: DCI Arrests Two Men Impersonating Women in Online Massage Fraud
The case has since reignited debates around freedom of expression, digital parody, and the state’s response to criticism on social media.
I Must Go: Uproar Over Arrest of X User for Parody Account
Former Makueni Governor has called out the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), accusing the unit of violating the law by arresting Sifuna and charging him with impersonating the Head of State for running a parody account.
“Surely DCI, it is wrong to arrest 22-year-old Titus Wekesa Sifuna for impersonating the President merely because he ran a fun account with the handle @ThiefThe5th and his own display name ‘#IMustGo.’ Is Prezo mentioned here?” he posed.
Also Read: Ksh5 Million Fine for Kenyans Publishing False Information
Another X user, @Ronyokev, weighed in on the matter, criticizing the government’s priorities and questioning the justice system’s fairness.
He pointed out the stark contrast between how the state handles high-profile corruption cases and the harsh punishment meted out to a young man expressing himself online out of frustration and economic hardship.
“The government is overworking against its own people. The constitution should protect the weak, not shield the powerful. This is not justice,” he said
“It’s oppression wearing a suit. We have seen politicians gun someone down, but nothing happens to them.”
At the same time, another user, Helly Shelly, raised concerns about the situation, saying, “This is the ultimate expression that we have thrown the decorum of our constitution out the window. Where did the freedom of expression go? After all, whose name is ‘I Must Go’?”
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