A Nairobi court issued an arrest warrant for blogger Kitovoto Mutinda on Monday, March 23, 2026, after he failed to appear for a scheduled hearing in a case involving Mwingi Central MP Gideon Mulyungi.
Principal Magistrate Rose Ndombi ordered the arrest at the Milimani Law Courts when both the accused and his legal representative missed the morning session, bringing the proceedings to a halt.
Mutinda faces nine counts of publishing false information against the lawmaker, a charge that falls under Section 23 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act of 2018. Prosecutors allege that the blogger used digital platforms to spread fabricated claims about the MP, though the defense previously managed to delay the trial by citing Mutinda’s poor health.
While the court had originally pushed the matter to yesterday to allow the accused time to recover, his absence left the magistrate with little choice but to escalate the matter. The court noted that the hearing could not proceed without the defendant, leading to the immediate issuance of the warrant to compel his attendance.
The legislator-lawyer requested that the court issue a warrant of arrest for the accused after his failure to appear. During the session, the complainant informed the court that the blogger continues to publish derogatory information against him despite the active legal proceedings.
Acting on these concerns, the MP’s legal team made an oral application to block Kitovoto from releasing further content targeting Mulyungi. Magistrate Ndombi granted the request, forfeited the defendant’s cash bail, and issued the arrest warrant. She also issued a gag order barring the accused from publishing any injurious information until the court reaches a final determination.
“Therefore, to preserve the integrity of the proceedings, the accused is hereby restrained from publishing any information relating to any subject in this case that is alleged to be false and injurious to the complainant pending the hearing and determination of this case.”
According to the charge sheet, Mutinda intentionally published false information on August 9, 2024, using the account “Kinuko 96.5 FM.” The prosecution alleges that he posted a write-up in the Kitui Leaders’ Council WhatsApp group at approximately 3:56 p.m., intending for the members to accept the data as authentic.
The charges further state that Mutinda distributed the same information across several other influential WhatsApp platforms. These groups include the Kitui Professional Forum, the proposed Mwingi Municipality group, the Kitui DG platform, the United People of Mwingi, and the Mwingi Political Forum.
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