Francis Kamau Karanja, a Kenyan citizen, appeared before Magistrate Irene Thamara at the Milimani Law Courts on October 8, 2026, to face charges of cyber harassment. The prosecution alleges that on September 28, 2026, Karanja sent a message to a mobile phone number registered in the name of Magistrate Margaret Murage. The message reportedly made reference to the handling of a case involving Gabriel Saka and contained words likely to cause apprehension or fear of violence to the judicial officer.
According to the charge sheet, the alleged message was deemed to have caused Magistrate Murage to avoid using her residence and vehicle, leaving her living in fear. The prosecution, therefore, opposed Karanja's release on bond, citing the extraordinary nature of the case given that the alleged victim is a judicial officer. The State requested the court to consider the Judiciary Bail and Bond Policy Guidelines, particularly the need to protect victims when determining whether to release an accused person on bond.
Karanja's lawyer, Muriithi Mbaabu, urged the court to grant his client reasonable and lenient bail terms. Mbaabu argued that Karanja had been arrested and denied police bail without being informed of the reason for his arrest. He was taken to Kilimani Police Station on Tuesday and was not arraigned that day. The defence claimed that Karanja was subsequently presented before the Kibera Law Courts on Wednesday, where plea taking was deferred after the prosecution sought to have the matter transferred to the Milimani Law Courts.
The Kibera court ruled that prosecuting the matter there could lead to allegations of bias and directed that Karanja be presented before Milimani Court 1 for plea taking. As a result, Karanja was arraigned before Magistrate Irene Thamara, where he denied the charge of cyber harassment contrary to Section 27(1)(a), as read with Section 27(2), of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act.
Karanja's case has raised concerns about the safety and security of judicial officers in Kenya. The Judiciary has emphasized the need to protect its officers from threats and intimidation. In this regard, the court is expected to consider the seriousness of the offence and the potential risk to the magistrate when determining Karanja's bail application.
The court is set to deliver its ruling on Karanja's bail application on Friday at 11 am. If convicted, Karanja may face penalties under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act. The Act provides for various sanctions, including imprisonment and fines, for those found guilty of cyber harassment and other related offences.
Key points
- The accused, Francis Kamau Karanja, denied the charge of cyber harassment.
- The prosecution opposed Karanja's release on bond, citing the need to protect the judicial officer.
- The court will deliver its ruling on Karanja's bail application on Friday at 11 am.
