Engineer, Facebook group admins in court over online bullying of City MCA
Eng. Javin Ochieng Othuol (left) with his co-accused persons at the Makadara Law Courts.
An engineer with the state department of public works is among four people charged with publication of false information contrary to section 23 of the computer misuse and Cybercrime Act of 2011 after allegedly posting malicious information against a member of Nairobi County Assembly (MCA) on a Facebook account.
Eng. Javin Ochieng Othuol alias Kinuthia James was charged alongside Bramwel Wesonga alias Balliam with posting the false information against MCA Susan Kavaya Makungu of Mlango Kubwa ward on Jukwaa La siasa Mathare Facebook account.
They are jointly accused of publishing the information knowing the same to be false and calculated to discredit the reputation of Ms. Makungu on diverse dates between January 1st and 9th this year.
The two are the administrators of the group and they are accused of committing the offence jointly with other members of the political group.
Mr Othuol is facing two additional counts of publishing false information.
In the second and third counts, he is charged alongside Joseph Kuguma Wanjiku alias Gush Manenoz and Wallace Ogundo Otieno who are members of the group.
They are similarly charged with publishing falsehoods against the complainant on the political Facebook account.
Ms. Makungu had joined the group in 2021 while campaigning for the seat which she eventually won in the August 22 general elections. The group was formed by Mr Othuol in 2018.
She later noticed the accused persons were publishing false information against her in the group.
She contacted Eng. Othuol and requested him to pull down the malicious posts but he reportedly demanded an amount of money for the same.
She reported the matter at the Ruaraka police station, and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) took over the matter. The DCI traced and arrested the four suspects.
They denied the charges before Principal Magistrate Eric Mutunga of Makadara Law Courts.
They were freed on a bond of Sh1 million each with a surety of a similar amount. The case will be mentioned on March 28 before hearing starts on June 26 this year.
