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David Mokaya is back in the dock, accused of digitally ‘killing’ the President in a case that tests the thin line between political satire and cybercrime.

In a courtroom drama that pits freedom of expression against state security, David Ooga Mokaya, a 24-year-old Moi University student, is fighting to clear his name. His crime? Allegedly "killing" the President on social media. Mokaya stands accused of publishing a digitally manipulated image of a funeral procession, complete with a caption claiming President William Ruto’s body was leaving Lee Funeral Home.
The case, which has dragged on since his arrest in late 2024, has become a lightning rod for debate on the limits of online satire. Mokaya appeared before the court this week, vehemently disputing the cybercrime charges leveled against him. The prosecution argues the post was calculated to cause panic and despondency; the defense insists it was a harmless, albeit dark, joke.
"My client is being persecuted for a meme," his lawyer argued. "Since when did political satire become a jailable offense in this country?" The charge sheet reads "publishing false information," a violation of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act that carries a hefty fine and potential jail time.
As the case heads toward a ruling later this year, it is being watched closely by rights groups and digital activists. It raises uncomfortable questions about how the state polices the internet. Is a student's tweet a threat to national security, or is the state using a sledgehammer to crack a nut?
For Mokaya, the stakes are terrifyingly real. A conviction could derail his education and his future. For the rest of Kenya's "keyboard warriors," the verdict will determine just how free their speech really is.
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