Activist Morara Kebaso charged with Cyber Harassment, freed on a Ksh.50K cash bail

NARC-Kenya leader Martha Karua is serving as Kebaso's lead counsel, alongside a team of more than 10 advocates.

The charges that follow his dramatic arrest on Monday stem from an incident that occurred on September 28, 2024. 

He is accused of posting false information on his X  account about billionaire businessman David Langat. 

According to the charge sheet, Kebaso, along with other individuals not yet before the court, knowingly posted a message aimed at discrediting businessman David Langat and tarnishing his reputation. 

The post falsely claimed that President William Ruto had approached Langat for financial assistance during his campaign, leading Langat to take out large loans using his properties as collateral. 

The post further alleged that Langat was now being auctioned by banks, and that President Ruto was using his power to buy Langat’s properties at an undervalued price.

It was not immediately clear who the complainant in the matter is but Morara's lawyers argued that the matter revolves around reputation and defamation, rather than cyber harassment. 

The defence has already raised concerns about the charge sheet, with questions regarding the identity of the complainant and the appropriateness of pursuing criminal charges.

After his arraignment, Morara was freed on a cash bail of Ksh.50,000 with the case slated for mentioning on October 4.

In the lead up to his arrest, he had reported being followed by government agents in late August.

He has been actively touring the country to expose stalled government projects and highlight what he sees as widespread corruption.

Kebaso has become a vocal critic of President William Ruto, claiming that many of his initiatives are either stalled or yet to be launched.

He emphasised the importance of his work in holding the government accountable, stating that he is not concerned about his own safety because it would undermine his efforts.

The father of two stated that he has received threats and been followed by vehicles with unidentified licence plates.

"If I worry too much, I will not be able to continue my work," he remarked.

 "What I am doing is extremely risky. I have experienced incidents where my phone was tracked and vehicles with untraceable number plates were seen near my home."