Man Charged for Threatening Mwea MP Mary Maingi via WhatsApp
A man has been formally charged at the Wang’uru Law Courts in Kirinyaga County for allegedly sending threatening messages to Mwea Member of Parliament, Mary Maingi.
Appearing before the court on Monday, April 14, the accused faced charges under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act. He is alleged to have used the WhatsApp messaging platform to send a threatening message to the MP.
According to the charge sheet, “On March 27, 2025, in an undisclosed location in Kenya, you knowingly used WhatsApp to send a threatening message from your phone number to the phone number of Mary Maingi, knowing that it would be harmful to the recipient.”
The 34-year-old suspect pleaded not guilty. He was granted bond set at Ksh100,000 or an alternative cash bail of Ksh30,000. The case is scheduled for mention on April 28, with the hearing set to begin on July 28.
This incident is one of several similar cases that have emerged in Kenya, particularly since the contact information of prominent politicians began surfacing online.
During the Gen Z protests of June 2024, personal phone numbers of lawmakers who supported the controversial Finance Bill 2024 were widely circulated, encouraging citizens to directly express their dissent.
In a related case, a university student was charged in November 2024 for disseminating false information about President William Ruto on the platform X. The student allegedly posted an image implying the President had died, depicting a coffin draped in the national flag and carried by military personnel in ceremonial attire.
The alleged offence took place on November 13, 2024, at an unspecified location within the Republic of Kenya.
These incidents have occurred alongside a wave of online activism, some of which has led to reported forced disappearances. Several X users who employed AI-generated imagery to portray high-ranking officials in controversial or critical depictions have allegedly gone missing.
Among the most notable cases is that of cartoonist Kibet Bull. Known for his striking silhouettes of the President and his allies, his work attracted both widespread attention and scrutiny. His unexplained disappearance—and eventual release—has left many questions unanswered.
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Man Charged for Threatening Mwea MP Mary Maingi via WhatsApp
