Blogger Cyprian Nyakundi is being held by the police for falsely claiming a Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) official refused to quarantine following a foreign trip.
According to Nyakundi, KRA commissioner general James Mburu and other senior officials declined to self quarantine even after traveling to Kenya via UK.
“Hi Cyprian, KRA top officials jetted in last week. I don’t think they self-quarantined and they had used the UK route”, a KRA staff member wrote to the blogger.
Further, Nyakundi said, Mr Mburu had traveled to America and was out and about before the mandatory 14 day self quarantine lapsed.
“KRA CG jetted back from the US and started having meetings before the 14 days quarantine. But my question is, must these guys still fly out? What’s more important,” he wrote on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/CisNyakundi/status/1241954427554144256
On Monday the blogger said he had received word that Mr Mburu had paid detectives to arrest him.
“I have received reports that KRA CG has paid some detectives to arrest me because I posted that he flew out and never quarantined for 14 days. No need to look for me @DCI_Kenya Just summon me and I’ll come. We are aware of the crackdown on bloggers,” he wrote.
https://twitter.com/CisNyakundi/status/1242024445855911936
A day later, Nyakundi was summoned by the DCI via a WhatsApp message. He was supposed to present himself at Central Police Station at 3 pm.
https://twitter.com/CisNyakundi/status/1242383292214775808
But according to fellow blogger Abraham Mutai, Nyakundi was apprehended last night.
On Monday, blogger Robert Alai was released on bail after being charged with the publication of false information in violation of Section 23 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act.
He was said to have shared misleading information on the spread of coronavirus.
Magistrate Muema Ndungi barred him from sharing information about the virus on his social media pages.
The government has cautioned Kenyans against spreading falsehoods about the virus.
“I want to appeal to members of public to desist from any form of misinformation. The social media has been awash with all sort of rumours including that we are locking down Nairobi, sending people home, that we have deployed the military …. things that have come from nowhere. These rumours must stop,” Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said.
The government has urged citizens to stay home so as to avoid social gatherings while maintaining social distance.
Those arriving from foreign trips have been instructed to self quarantine for 14 days at government facilities or hotels at their own expense.
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