University student disputes cybercrime charges over alleged fake post on President Ruto

A university student accused of publishing a fake social media post implying that President William Ruto was dead has told the court that claims by the prosecution that the post brought shame to the president were not supported by evidence.

David Mokaya submitted during a hearing in which the state closed its case in the cybercrime trial.

Mokaya is charged with publishing false information through a computer system after allegedly posting content on social media implying that President Ruto was dead, an offence under cybercrime laws.

Led by his lawyer, Danstan Omari, Mokaya argued that the prosecution failed to demonstrate how the disputed post caused public panic or brought shame to the president, noting that no witnesses or material evidence were presented to support those claims.

The accused further told the court that the evidence relied upon by investigators was illegally obtained, alleging that police officers seized his laptop and mobile phone without a search warrant, failed to introduce themselves and did not follow due process.

Mokaya also challenged the prosecution’s case on ownership of the social media account, saying investigators were unable to link the alleged account to his devices and that several people had access to the account in question.

The prosecution has since closed its case, and the matter is expected to be mentioned on the 9th of next month.