Kenyan Court Adjourns Case of Student Who Raised False Alarm on Ruto’s Death

A Kenyan court has adjourned the trial of a 24-year-old university student, David Mokaya, who was arrested for posting a false claim on social media that President William Ruto had died.

The case, which has sparked concerns about the government’s crackdown on dissent, was heard at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi but was adjourned until July 31.

Mokaya’s troubles began when he posted a picture of a funeral procession on social media with the caption: “President William Ruto’s Body leaves Lee Funeral Home”.

The image quickly went viral, prompting his arrest under laws targeting the spread of false information.

The student’s lawyer has argued that the case is “an attack on freedom of expression”, saying that Mokaya was simply exercising his right as a citizen to express his political opinions and criticize the head of state.

“Political satire is not a crime,” the lawyer told AFP. “The case is very flimsy.”

The trial comes amid growing scrutiny of the Kenyan government’s treatment of critics and activists.

Human rights organizations have accused security forces of killing at least 60 people and abducting dozens more during and after mass protests in June last year over tax hikes and allegations of government corruption.

In a related development, several individuals who shared AI-generated images of President Ruto in a coffin reportedly disappeared for weeks in December.

Among them was cartoonist Gideon Kibet, also known as Kibet Bull, who has since stopped publishing political cartoons after his release.

Rights groups have alleged that a covert unit within Kenya’s intelligence and counter-terrorism agencies is behind these abductions, an accusation that the government and police have denied. However, President Ruto recently acknowledged the issue, stating that all abducted individuals had been returned to their families and assuring the public that such incidents would not happen again.