President William Ruto’s ally Dennis Itumbi has strongly disagreed with the arrest of the Orange Democratic Movement’s (ODM) activist Nuru Okanga.
In a post on X, Itumbi shared that the arrest of bloggers for insulting the president was unwarranted and that they have a right to express themselves.
Additionally, he wrote that Dr Ruto had serious stuff to do and was not interested in such drama and arrests saying he did not even have any idea about the arrest.
“I completely DISAGREE with the idea of arresting bloggers for insulting the president. Whoever is doing it wacheni kabisa. Please wakili @W_Kinuthiah, if Nuru Okanga agrees, represent him in court at my cost. There exists a right to offend, shock, or disturb. I know that President @WilliamsRuto has serious stuff to do and is NOT interested in such drama and arrests. He does not even know about it. So, who exactly is the complainant? Wachaneni na bloggers, wajiexpress! Tafuteni kazi ingine…”
Also read: Controversial vlogger Nuru Okanga sued for insulting President Ruto
Itumbi’s sentiments were echoed by activist Boniface Mwangi who said that Mr Okanga was entitled to his own opinion and the charge was a waste of the court’s time.
“Okanga is entitled to his own opinion. Going after a nobody is a sign of weakness by President Ruto,” he wrote.
On Thursday, November 30, Mr Okanga appeared before Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina at the Milimani Law Courts, facing charges of disseminating false information.
The prosecution alleged that he had broadcasted misleading content about the country’s fuel availability on his YouTube channel, Riba News, from an undisclosed location in Kenya on November 20th, 2023.
The prosecution claimed that the video, which criticized the president, was ‘false and calculated to discredit the reputation of a State Officer and with the intent to cause a breach of peace.’
Mr Okanga, however, denied the charges against him and was subsequently granted release on a cash bail of Sh10,000. The court scheduled a pre-trial hearing for December 13, 2023, to discuss further proceedings in the case.
