Nairobi Woman Rep Esther Passaris has called for responsibility following the prosecution of Titus Wekesa Sifuna, a 22-year-old man who was charged with publishing false information about President William Ruto.
In an update on Wednesday, April 23, Passaris acknowledged the importance of freedom of speech but warned that it should be used with wisdom.
She also expressed empathy for Sifuna noting that he should not be judged by his mistakes, however, insisting that he must learn from his shortcomings.
“Freedom of speech is a right. But freedom without wisdom becomes recklessness. Titus Wekesa Sifuna is more than his mistakes. But his mistakes must teach him something. He will own them. He will grow from them.
“And herein lies a lesson for the rest of us: That accountability is not the end—it’s the beginning of wisdom. That being young is not a license for recklessness, but a call to responsibility,” she said.
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Sifuna is being prosecuted under Section 23 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, which prohibits the sharing of false information that could incite panic or damage someone’s reputation.
If found guilty, he could face up to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to Ksh5 million.
Passaris' remarks come barely a day after she criticized social media users for sharing edited images of Raila Odinga dressed in Pope’s clothes.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, April 22, Passaris said the images are disrespectful to the late Pope, Catholics, and to Raila himself.
“I have seen a lot of people on social media painting a picture that shows they don't have respect for a man who lived with God and ruled over 2 billion people as a spiritual leader by putting Raila Odinga in Pope's clothes. I think that is so disrespectful,” she said.
In her plea to the younger generation, Passaris called on Gen-Z to stand for respect and values, especially at a time when the Pope is yet to be buried.
“I want to tell our Gen-Zs out there, those who stand for certain values, do not allow those values to be undermined by those who have no respect. You should have respect for Raila Odinga, the 2 billion Catholics, and the Pope, who has not even been laid to rest,” she added.
