Blogger and activist Francis Gaitho has issued a statement following a public notice by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) seeking information leading to his arrest.
In a statement on Thursday, January 2, he described the move as an act of political persecution and reaffirmed his commitment to the principles of free speech.
In the response, Gaitho also noted that he will be presenting himself at DCI Headquarters on January 6 in the company of his lawyers.
"Thank you to all for the calls and messages of goodwill. I will be presenting myself at DCI headquarters on Monday 7th January at 10 am accompanied by my lawyers," he said.
Additionally, Gaitho strongly refuted any implication that he was involved in criminal activity as claimed by the DCI.
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"I’m not a criminal. I’m not a murderer. I’m not a capital offender. I just tweet. Freedom of speech is a constitutional entitlement and I exercise it to the best of my ability. Other criminals are walking free out here but mine is political persecution because many of these cases have civil remedies," he added.
Gaitho accused the DCI of using its platform to intimidate him, arguing that many of the allegations against him could be addressed through civil remedies rather than criminal prosecution.
"This latest tweet by DCI is crafted to evoke fear and isolate me from friends and family as they know my lawyers and could have served them directly. We hope you will be there to cover us. In light of all the abductions and enforced disappearances, media coverage will greatly assist in enforcing accountability from law enforcement agencies," he further stated.
In a notice earlier today, DCI had appealed for information to would lead to the arrest of Gaitho.
In a statement released on Thursday, January 2, DCI disclosed that Gaitho is wanted in connection with various criminal activities.
"The suspect had been charged with the offence of publishing false information in violation of Section 23 of the Computer Misuse and Cyber Crimes Act (Case No. CR E738/24). He absconded a court session on December 4, 2024, which resulted in the issuance of a warrant of arrest by the Milimani Law Courts," DCI stated.
The investigating agency added that Gaitho was also under investigation for sharing personal information of a senior public officer, and faces multiple counts of cyber harassment for a social media post in which he reportedly disparaged senior government officials.
"The above files are pending perusal and advice by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. If you have any information that may lead to the prompt arrest of the suspect, please call our toll-free hotline at 0800 722 203 anonymously or report to the nearest police station," DCI added.
