Popular social media influencer Francis Gaitho is listed as wanted by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) over allegations of publishing false information violating the Computer Misuse and Cyber Crimes Act.
In a post shared by DCI Kenya, Gaitho is under investigation for sharing information about a senior Public Officer and publishing false information, which violates section 23 of the Computer Misuse and Cyber Crimes Act against other Kenyan citizens.
Additionally, Gaitho is set to face multiple counts of cyber harassment for posts in which he disparaged senior officials. The DCI is calling the public to provide any information that may lead to the prompt arrest of the suspect by calling the DCI hotline or reporting to the nearest police station.
In response, Francis Gaitho issued a public statement over DCI’s declaration that he is a wanted man. He confirmed that he would present himself at the DCI headquarters along Kiambu Road on Monday, January 7, 2025 accompanied by his legal team.
"To members of the mainstream media who write DCI press-releases copy paste without verifying details, kindly include that I will be presenting myself at DCI headquarters on Monday 7th January at 10am accompanied by my lawyers," he said.
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He also dismissed allegations as politically motivated and a calculated attempt to intimidate and isolate him from his support network. He maintained that all his posts fall under his constitutional right of freedom of speech. Gaitho said that he was neither a criminal nor a capital offender. He argued that freedom of speech is a constitutional entitlement he exercised to the best of his ability.
He vowed to sue DCI for posting his photos on their social media handles, terming the act as illegal. He also stated that the post from DCI was crafted to evoke fear and isolate him from friends and family. He urged the media to be present to assist significantly in enforcing accountability from law enforcement agencies.
