Bungoma man arraigned over fake Ruto resignation posts on X

A 22-year-old man has been arraigned before the Milimani Law Courts for impersonating President William Ruto on social media.

He is also accused of falsely claiming that the Head of State was planning to step down.

Titus Wekesa Sifuna, a resident of Bungoma County, was presented before Senior Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsaringo on Tuesday.

The DCI is seeking seven days to complete investigations into the alleged publication of false information.

Police claim Sifuna pretended to be President Ruto, deceiving Kenyans by stating that he would leave office.

In an affidavit filed in court, Police Constable Peter, attached to the DCI Headquarters, Operations Support Unit, stated that Wekesa operated a parody account on X (formerly Twitter) under the name "I Must Go", impersonating President Ruto and publishing posts suggesting the Head of State was succumbing to public pressure and preparing to resign.

"The X (formerly Twitter) handle changed its name from the original @theif5th to the username 'I Must Go', which featured a photo of the Head of State, President Ruto of the Republic of Kenya," Officer Mwangi told the court.

While seeking to detain Wekesa for an additional seven days, the DCI detective told the court that the investigation involves a serious offence under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act.

“The contents on the X handle are of great harm to the reputation of the country, given that the presidency is a symbol of national unity and ought to be respected and honoured by all,” said Detective Mwangi.

He added that the account had been used to disseminate “messages and images which are derogatory and disrespectful towards the Head of State and his family,” drawing negative reactions from the public and risking national cohesion.

The DCI alleges that Wekesa’s posts amounted to “hate speech, which can lead to ethnic tension among members of the public.”

According to information obtained from the National Registration Bureau by the DCI, the National Identity Card used to register the SIM card operating the X account — which gave Kenyans false hope that Ruto was about to give in to pressure to resign — belongs to Wekesa.

Detectives said part of the investigation will involve forensic analysis of mobile phones, laptops, and hard disks seized from the suspect.

The DCI is also seeking certified records from the X platform regarding the activity of the account in question.

Other investigative steps include escorting Wekesa to his areas of residence within Msambweni in Kwale County to gather more evidence and exhibits.

The DCI says Wekesa had been living in Msambweni for the better part of this year when he was posting the content on the X account.

In his statement to investigators, the suspect claimed he had been living in Msambweni while volunteering as a teacher, and denied any malicious intent behind the parody account.

He, however, admitted to being the operator of the account in question.

Wekesa is reported to have been arrested in Bungoma County over the Easter holiday following an intelligence complaint lodged at the Capitol Hill Police Station.

The magistrate allowed the DCI detectives' request to continue holding Wekesa for three days to complete investigations into the matter.