Francis Wambugu Irungu Harrison Nyende Mumia, president of the Atheists Society of Kenya, appeared before Milimani Law Courts on Monday, facing serious charges of publishing false information. Detectives from the Special Crime Unit arraigned him under Section 22(1) of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act No. 5 of 2018, accusing him of deliberately spreading misleading content against state leadership. The case stems from posts made on December 30, 2025, using a pseudonymous Facebook account under the name Robinson Kipruto Ngetich, as well as his personal Instagram handle @harrisonmumia.
Court documents reveal that Mumia allegedly shared AI-generated images depicting President William Ruto lying lifeless or critically ill on a hospital bed, claims he knew to be false. These posts quickly went viral, sparking public outrage and concerns over the dangers of deepfake technology in Kenya’s digital space.
Prosecutors argue the content aimed to incite unrest by undermining the presidency at a sensitive time . Mumia, represented by lawyer Levi Munyeri, denied all four counts during the hearing before Chief Magistrate Dolphina Alego. He was released on a Sh1 million bond with one surety or alternatively Sh500,000 cash bail with two contact persons. The court also ordered him to deposit his passport as part of the bail conditions.
The arrest unfolded on New Year’s Eve at Mumia’s residence in Komarock Estate along Kangundo Road. Law enforcement officers conducted a thorough search, confiscating key items linked to the offense: an HP EliteBook X360 laptop, a Redmi smartphone, two company stamps from Dovty Digital Technologies and the Atheists in Kenya Society, among others.
These gadgets are expected to undergo forensic analysis to trace the origin of the deceptive posts. The prosecution intends to summon at least two witnesses, including a digital forensics expert, to strengthen their case during the pre-trial conference scheduled for January 19, 2026.
