Civic activist and lawyer Morara Kebaso has been arraigned in court on cyber harassment charges. This follows the approval of the charges by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for allegedly defaming Uasin Gishu-based tycoon David Langat through his social media account on X (formerly Twitter).
The case stems from a tweet posted by Kebaso in which he accused President William Ruto of exploiting his friendship with Langat for personal financial gain during the 2022 presidential campaign. In the tweet, Kebaso alleged that President Ruto had urged Langat to secure large loans using his properties as collateral to finance his campaign, only for Langat to later face auction by banks. Kebaso further claimed that Ruto had manipulated the valuation of Langat’s properties to acquire them at a lower price.
Kebaso’s tweet read: “William Ruto approached David Langat and told him he desperately needs more money for campaign. DL Langat used his properties as security and took big loans to help his friend. Right now DL Langat is being auctioned by banks and the person who is buying the properties is William Ruto. To make it worse William Ruto has used his power to undervalue the properties to buy them at a cheaper price. That is the kind of person we are dealing with. He has no friend.”
The accusations in the tweet quickly gained traction online, prompting Langat to file a formal complaint, leading to the DPP’s decision to charge Kebaso with cyber harassment.
Kebaso, known for his outspoken activism, has denied the charges, calling them an attempt to silence him for speaking out against political and economic injustices. The case is expected to stir debate on the boundaries of free speech and the legal consequences of online commentary in Kenya.
