Man in court over ‘I must go’ derogatory messages towards President Ruto

A man was Tuesday produced in court over what police termed as derogatory messages he posts on his social media towards president William Ruto.

Titus Wekesa Sifuna was arraigned before the Milimani Law Courts under a miscellaneous application.

The prosecution requested that the suspect be detained for seven days to allow the police to conclude ongoing investigations.

The court was informed that Sifuna has been using his X account, operating under the handle @5thethief and username “I must go”, to post derogatory remarks directed at the President and his family.

The prosecution said the posts have attracted negative public reactions and are considered dangerous to national peace and cohesion.

The court further heard that the content shared—including messages and images—amounts to hate speech, potentially inciting ethnic divisions among the public.

It was also alleged that Sifuna altered the account’s profile to display an image of the Head of State, which the authorities claim is misleading and harmful.

“The content of the X account poses a serious threat to the country’s reputation, as the President is a symbol of national unity and should be respected and honoured by all,” the prosecution told the court.

This is seen as part of efforts by the state to control the social media and in particular those targeting Ruto in the wake of Gen Z protests.