Blogger Robert Alai was arrested bu DCI operatives outside his office on Friday. Alai was arrested following series of tweets that he’s been posting on the Coronavirus pandemic.
He posted a tweet on Thursday suggesting that the government was covering up deaths of coronavirus victims.
Alai insists two Chinese nationals aboard a ship docked at the port of Mombasa had died. He later deleted the tweet.
Alai will be charged with publishing false and calculated information that could result in a panic – infringing on section 23 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act of 2018.
Section 23 says “a person who knowingly publishes information that is false in print, broadcast, data over a computer system, that is calculated or results in panic, chaos, or violence among citizens of the Republic, or which is likely to discredit the reputation of a person commits an offence.
Health CS Kagwe Mutahi, warned Kenyans to stop sharing unverified information on social media. He warned that the government would start arresting some people over the offence.
“But because I know empty appeals will not work, we will proceed and arrest a number of them to prove our point and of course since they will have something to report regarding coronavirus, we will oblige them by taking them to Mbangathi where they will report because that is where issues of coronavirus can be handled,” the CS warned on Thursday.
Alai has also been reporting on situation updates ahead of the government some of which have turned out to be true and going to affirm his authority. Before the government announced the second and third case, he had already tweeted about it.
Government insists they’re the only official source of information and anything outside must be treated with caution. The law has been seen by critics as a way of the government to muzzle free speech and monopolize information flow.
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