Gatundu Man Arrested After Viral Video Threatening President Ruto
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has intensified its crackdown on “digital subversion” following the arrest of a man in Gatundu over a viral TikTok video. The suspect, whose identity is being withheld pending his arraignment on Friday, February 27, 2026, allegedly posted a clip containing explicit threats of violence against President William Ruto.
The “Viral” Evidence
The 45-second video, which surfaced on Tuesday, showed the suspect speaking in a mix of Gikuyu and Kiswahili, making disparaging remarks and specific threats regarding the President’s upcoming visit to the Mt. Kenya region.
DCI detectives tracked the digital footprint of the account to a residence in Gatundu North, where the suspect was apprehended on Thursday evening. During the raid, police confiscated two mobile phones and several SIM cards believed to have been used to upload the content.
The Legal Net: Subversive Activities
Authorities are expected to charge the suspect under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, specifically focusing on sections related to “publication of false information” and “incitement to violence.”
This arrest follows a stern warning from Interior CS Kithure Kindiki earlier this month, where he stated that the government would not tolerate individuals using social media platforms to “instigate chaos or threaten the person of the President.”
TikTok’s New Moderation Era
The arrest comes at a sensitive time for the platform. Just last week, TikTok announced it had removed over 500,000 videos from the Kenyan platform in collaboration with the government to align with “community standards.” This Gatundu incident is being seen as a test case for how quickly local authorities and the platform can coordinate to identify and de-platform creators of “subversive” content.
Public Reaction: A Divided Digital Space
The arrest has sparked a heated debate on X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok itself.
The “Law and Order” View: Supporters of the arrest argue that “freedom of speech is not freedom of reach” for threats and that the Presidency must be protected as a symbol of national unity.
The “Free Speech” View: Human rights advocates have raised concerns that the government is using “security” as a pretext to silence critics during a period of high economic tension.
What’s Next?
The suspect is currently being held at the Gatundu Police Station. He is expected to be moved to the DCI headquarters in Nairobi for further questioning before appearing at the Milimani Law Courts.
Digital Safety Warning
Legal experts are advising Kenyans to be cautious with the content they share or re-post. Under current laws, even “sharing” a video that contains illegal threats can lead to prosecution for “distribution of prohibited content.”
