Francis Gaitho’s Cybercrime Case Back in Court for Mention

Online activist and blogger Francis Ng’ang’a Gaitho is expected back at the Milimani Law Courts today, April 14, 2025, as his cybercrime case resumes for mention.

Gaitho, known for his outspoken online presence, is facing charges under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act. He is accused of spreading false information regarding the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and their probe into the gruesome Kware killings.

According to the charge sheet, Gaitho allegedly used his X (formerly Twitter) account, @FGaitho237, to claim that the DCI had misidentified the prime suspect in the murders. His post alleged:

“The DCI-Kenya have released the names and photo of Collins Jomaisu Khalisia as the so-called serial killer linked to the bodies found at Kware Dumpsites. However, there is no public record of such a name, but cross-referencing the images on the X reveals that his name is Jairus Onkundi, a graduate from Meru University of Science and Technology. Government propagandists like @ItsMutai and @TheStarKenya have gone full-throttle running unverified names which don’t appear anywhere on social media.”

Prosecutors argue the claim was baseless and harmful, while Gaitho, who is out on Ksh30,000 bail after denying the charges when he was arrested in July 2024, maintains his innocence.

Today, he returns to court for a mention of the case, during which Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Robinson Ondieki will assess pre-trial compliance and potentially schedule a hearing date.

A mention is a court process involving a brief appearance before a magistrate or judge to update the court on the status of a case. The purpose of a mention is to keep the case progressing through the court system, says Clarity Law.

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