Francis Gaitho Released on Ksh.30K Bail Amid Cyber Harassment Charges
Social media influencer Francis Gaitho faces charges for allegedly spreading false information about the arrests made by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) concerning the Mukuru Kwa Njenga dumpsite case.
The court stated that Gaitho falsely claimed the DCI had apprehended the wrong individual as the main suspect in the Kware killings and proceeded to publish the names he believed were correct.
On Thursday, the court charged Gaitho with intentionally posting false information on his X (Twitter) account on July 15, 2024, contradicting the DCI’s reports.
The influencer originally shared photos of a Kenyan individual wrongly associated with the Kware killings, linking them to the bodies discovered at the Kware dumpsite.
Nevertheless, the court found no public records showing the names published by the influencer on social media.
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Additionally, the court confirmed that the images used were of a Meru University of Science and Technology graduate, which harmed the student’s reputation.
Gaitho faced an additional charge under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act for intentionally spreading false information about a Kenyan named Okundi, linking him to photos of the primary suspect, Collins Jumaisi.
Moreover, Gaitho’s publication connected Okundi’s name to the bodies discovered at a dump site. The court found no public records of a person with that name.
In the publications, the names associated with the images were inconsistent and unmatched, with many not appearing in public records.
Gaitho denied the accusations before Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Robinson Ondieki and requested lenient bond conditions. However, the DPP requested that Gaitho surrender his passport to the court.
He was granted release on a cash bail of Sh30,000. The case is scheduled for mention on August 1.
Francis Gaitho Released on Ksh.30K Bail Amid Cyber Harassment Charges
