TikToker Gitonga Archives arrested in Nakuru over Sh500,000 extortion claims
Popular TikToker Joseph Gitonga Kihanya, alias Gitonga Archives, was arrested in Nakuru and hauled before a Nairobi court after a warrant was issued over his failure to attend trial in a Sh500,000 extortion case involving a media service provider linked to a local bank.
Gitonga was transferred to Nairobi on October 9, and presented before the City Court, where his lawyer, Joshua Nyamori, applied for the reinstatement of his bail.
Nyamori told the court that his client had missed previous proceedings due to ill health and urged the court to allow him to resume his freedom pending the hearing and determination of the criminal case.
However, no medical documents were reportedly presented to substantiate the explanation for his absence.
The court subsequently cancelled Gitonga’s bond and ordered that he remain in custody until October 26, when his application for fresh bail is scheduled to be heard.
The arrest followed a warrant issued by the court on August 22 after Gitonga failed to appear for the hearing of the case.
Magistrate Grace Ouko had issued the warrant when the matter came up for hearing.
Gitonga is charged with demanding property with menaces, contrary to Section 302 of the Penal Code.
According to the prosecution, Gitonga allegedly acted jointly with another person who has not been brought before the court to demand Sh500,000 from Amos Hunja Mwangi, a media service provider.
The alleged offence is said to have occurred between July 20 and July 27, 2025, within Nairobi County.
Prosecutors claim the demand was linked to a video published on Gitonga’s TikTok account in which he alleged that Sh1.6 billion had been stolen from a bank account.
The prosecution allegef that Gitonga demanded the money in exchange for removing the video and refraining from publishing further content concerning the financial institution.
Hunja told detrctives that Gitonga threatened to continue releasing material that could damage the bank’s reputation if the money was not paid.
Gitonga denied the allegations and previously pleaded not guilty.
He had initially been released on a Sh50,000 cash bail or an alternative bond of Sh100,000 pending trial.
The case also attracted the court’s attention over allegations that Gitonga discussed the proceedings on social media.
During earlier proceedings, State Counsel Rama Mwanaidi urged the court to restrain Gitonga from commenting publicly about the matter, arguing that such posts could interfere with the judicial process.
The court subsequently issued a gag order barring Gitonga from discussing, publishing or causing to be published information relating to the case on social media or any other platform.
