The Director of Criminal Investigation (DCI) has issued an arrest warrant for Cyprian Nyakundi who failed to appear in court to answer charges related to COVID-19 blogging.
The DCI has issued an arrest warrant for the controversial blogger Cyprian Nyakundi who failed to appear in court to answer charges related to Publication of False Information Contrary to Section 23 of Computer Misuse and Cyber Crime Act case that were filed against the author of Cnyakundi.com on March 22, 2020.
This is not the first time the blogger has collided with the law. In January 2020, he was arrested for defaming Nairobi County governor Mike Sonko. Mr. Nyakundi has also clashed with other political elites including Kirinyaga governor Anne Waiguru.
Back in March 15 when Kenya confirmed its first Covid-19 case, the government of Kenya moved quickly to stem up any panic from the public by reigning in any sensationalism and media frenzy regarding the deadly virus by banning the publication of false content regarding Coronavirus. During the same time Cyprian Nyakundi was arrested Elijah Kitonyo was also arrested and charged with the same offence of spreading false and malicious propaganda regarding COVID-19. This followed Mr. Kionyo’s tweet on March 15, 2020 in which he alleged that the government was misleading the country regarding Covid-19 by exaggerating numbers in order to get foreign aid from WHO. Cyber-crimes in Kenya attract a maximum penalty of $50,000 or a 10-year sentence or both. So far, nobody has been convicted of the said crimes however and chances of such crimes succeeding in court are very slim.
Worldwide, Coronavirus has infected more than 2.5 million people with more than 180,000 deaths. United States, Italy, Spain and the UK are the most affected countries in the world. In Kenya however, the deadly virus has infected at least 281 people, killed 14 of them while at least 55 have made a full recovery. The scourge of Covid 19 has necessitated the government of Kenya to issue a dusk to dawn curfew daily while a full lockdown has been issued for at least three counties including Nairobi.
