Riskiest career in digital? The dangerous life of political bloggers

In Kenya, social media has become a powerful tool for the youth to hold the government to account.

At the county level, the so-called bloggers are known for using social media to "oversight" the devolved units.

But being a blogger comes with great risks.

In recent times, some bloggers have lost their lives, ostensibly for rubbing the authorities the wrong way.

Others have received threats for the same.

Take the case of Newton Kapiyo of Homa Bay, for instance.

Mr Kapiyo is well-known for criticising the county government on his social media handles.

The blogger commands huge a following on Facebook due to the information he regularly shares on his page.

But the information he dutifully shares often lands him in trouble.

During the tenure of former Homa Bay Governor Cyprian Awiti, Mr Kapiyo was arrested and charged after a county official sued him for publishing "damaging" information.

"He demanded that I apologise using the same medium. But I stood by my word because I had sufficient evidence to back up my posts," he recalls.

For his troubles, Mr Kapiyo was arrested and locked up in Homa Bay Police Station. He was later remanded at Homa Bay Prison after the court denied him bond.

"I was later granted bond but the complainant eventually withdrew the case," Mr Kapiyo said.

Also Read: Murder or suicide? Mystery of Tharaka-Nithi politician Felix Gitari found dead in car

Besides being arrested he has also received threats on several occasions.

"I weigh the intensity of the threat before I decide on the kind of action to take. If it is life-threatening, I report it to the police," Kapiyo said.

Although none of the threats have ever amounted to anything serious, he says he always fears for his life.

For his safety, he has adopted a lifestyle where only a few of his most trusted friends know where he is at any given time.

He also keeps his plans close to his chest so as not to expose himself to harm.

He never posts information on social media that could reveal his location.

"It is not advisable to be predictable when you are involved in this kind of work that I do," Mr Kapiyo says.

The blogger recalls once incident when a group of youth approached him at a nightclub and warned him about his activities on social media.

"They did not harm me, but I could tell that they were up to no good," he said.

Before publishing anything online, Mr Kapiyo ensures he has relevant information and sufficient evidence to support his posts.

Over the years, he has built a wide network of sources who constantly tip him with credible information about some of the activities happening in the county.

Other bloggers have, however, not been as lucky as Mr Kapiyo.

There have been numerous cases of bloggers being abducted, or even being murdered, under unclear circumstances.

Also Read: Who wanted ‘blogger’ Peris Mugera dead and why?

Often, these abductions and murders are linked to the nature of the bloggers' activities on social media.

That was the case of one Daniel Muthiani Bernard aka Snipper.

On December 2, 2023, the Meru-based blogger left his house to meet a friend. He went missing and was never seen alive again. His body was later found in a thicket.

Muthiani's mysterious death drew the attention of the entire nation, with Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki giving an assurance that the killers would be brought to book.

Several suspects have since been arrested and arraigned on murder charges.

Then there is the case of Peris Mugera. One day in February, the single mother of two left her rented house in Chuka, Tharaka-Nithi County, and promised her children that she would be back soon.

That was the last time they ever saw her alive.

When Ms Mugera failed to return home that night, her worried children informed their landlord and her disappearance was reported to the police.

Days later, her body was found along the Makutano-Sagana Highway in Kirinyaga County.

These macabre incidents spark public uproar whenever they happen, with the government often taking the blame.

However, the government spokesperson, Isaac Mwaura, is on record for stating that the Kenya Kwanza administration was appalled by the persistent killing of bloggers across the country.

“Yes, they may be a pain in the neck to you, but bloggers have a right to blog whatever they think. The media has now been democratised,” Mr Mwaura said early this month.

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