Kwale teacher accused of impersonating Ruto with ‘I Must Go’ X account released on Sh1m bond

A magistrate has released on bond a volunteer teacher who was arraigned for allegedly impersonating President William Ruto on social media.

Milimani Law Courts Senior Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo admitted Mr Titus Wekesa Sifuna to a bond of Sh1 million, with an alternative cash bail of Sh100,000.

Mr Onsarigo granted bail to Sifuna, a volunteer teacher in Kwale County after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions renewed its plea to detain the suspect for more days to enable the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to complete its probe.

Mr Sifuna is accused of publishing a photograph of President Ruto on his X (formerly Twitter) account, where he allegedly posted derogatory content about the President and his family.

Mr Onsarigo noted that Mr Sifuna had published a statement declaring “Must Go” while impersonating Kenya’s fifth President, using the username “I Must Go.”

Police had earlier been allowed to detain Mr Sifuna for interrogation. He was held at Capitol Hill Police Station, Nairobi.

In granting the initial request, the magistrate said that the investigating officer, Peter Mwangi, needed time to interrogate the suspect further.

However, upon releasing the suspect on bond, Mr Onsarigo said police could complete the remaining investigations while Mr Sifuna was out on bond. He directed the accused to cooperate with DCI officers and warned him of dire consequences should he interfere with the investigations or attempt to obstruct justice.

More evidence

Mr Mwangi had initially sought to detain Mr Sifuna for seven days when he arraigned him on Tuesday, but the court reduced the period to three days.

“I urge this court to grant my application to enable me to escort the respondent (Sifuna) to his purported area of residence within Msambweni, Kwale County, to gather more evidence and exhibits from where he has been posting the disparaging publications,” Mr Mwangi submitted.

Mr Sifuna was arrested on April 18, 2025, in Bungoma County and taken to the DCI headquarters, where he was questioned about the social media posts that had sparked public reactions.

Mr Mwangi told the magistrate that Mr Sifuna's X account contained numerous hate speech messages that could incite ethnic tensions. The court also heard that the account was linked to a platform called Umbrella Trex Solution, allegedly operated by the suspect, which invited and solicited public comments.

“The postings on the X handle are of great harm to the reputation of the country,” Mr Mwangi stated in his application seeking extended detention of the suspect.

Defence lawyer Ken Echesa opposed the application, arguing that police could carry out the investigations while the suspect was out on bond.

“I urge this court to release the suspect on bond since the nature of the investigations can be conducted while he is out,” Mr Echesa submitted. He further argued that Mr Sifuna is not a flight risk.

rmunguti@ke.nationmedia.com