A Nairobi court has granted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) a three-day detention order against a young man accused of publishing offensive messages and images targeting President William Ruto and his family.
The suspect, Titus Wekesa Sifuna, was presented before Magistrate Godfrey Onsarigo at the Milimani Law Courts under a miscellaneous application.
The DCI, through the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), had initially sought a seven-day detention period, arguing that more time was needed to complete investigations into the alleged offense—publishing false information, contrary to Section 23 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act No. 5 of 2018.
The court was informed that the investigation stemmed from an intelligence report indicating that an unidentified individual had been posting derogatory content about the First Family on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
According to the DCI, Titus operated the X account under the handle @Thief_5th with the username “I Must Go.” The account allegedly shared disrespectful messages and images that generated inflammatory public responses, which authorities argued could threaten national peace.
The DCI maintained that the posts posed significant harm to the country’s reputation, emphasizing that the presidency represents a symbol of national unity.
Defense attorney Advocate Echesa strongly opposed the detention application, arguing that the suspect’s constitutional right to liberty should not be curtailed without justifiable cause.
In granting the three-day detention order, the court noted it had considered the fact that the suspect had already been in police custody since April 16, 2025.
