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Author Topic: Blogger Mutai Now Released - To Be charged Later  (Read 6181 times)

Offline Omollo

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Blogger Mutai Now Released - To Be charged Later
« on: January 18, 2015, 03:47:54 PM »
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NAIROBI: A blogger who was arrested on Saturday in Mombasa and driven to Nairobi for blogging issues that abused and belittled "the big people in government" has been released. Police accused Abraham Mutai of misusing a licensed communication platform to cause anxiety. Mutai who uses the Twitter account @ItsMutai, was arrested at about 1 pm in Mombasa before he was driven by CID officers to Nairobi. They arrived at about 11 pm and was booked at Muthaiga police station. Sunday, he was taken to CID headquarters where he was questioned for more than an hour before he was released and ordered to report there Monday for further questioning and possible prosecution.

He was freed on personal bond. Sources said Mutai had published on his blog "issues that offended many people and caused anxiety without evidence". Police accused him of misuse and abuse of communication-licensed platform, an offence they said they are investigating. The online account associated with Mutai on the popular micro-blogging site has in recent months been used to post allegations of poaching, corruption and misuse of funds in Isiolo, Mandera and Mombasa counties. The blogger has also posted claims of impropriety at the Geothermal Development Company and linked several names to the alleged corruption. CID director Ndegwa Muhoro said there had been a complaint regarding issues that Mutai had handled in the recent past and that was why he was arrested and questioned. "I do not have details but there was a complaint on that man," said Muhoro without elaborating. His account had been disabled by the officers who arrested him. His arrest sparked an outrage online with a hashtag #FreeMutai being created to push for his release. The harsh tag was trending number one in Kenya on Saturday and yesterday even as the news on his release trickled in.

Many of those who tweeted said the government is now cracking down social media users after realizing it is the main avenue many are using to expose corruption and other vices in both national and county governments. Lawyer Mugambi Laibuta led other bloggers to CID headquarters to fight for the release of Mutai. They hugged each other on his release and vowed to continue fighting for the voiceless. @SokoAnalyst said: Our silence when the likes of @ItsMutai are arrested will embolden the perpetrators to keep coming after us. Let us speak up. @RobertAlai said: On social media, we amplify what mainstream media is paid to black out. We are not tribalist, we highlight tribalism you hide #FreeMutai.
Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/thecounties/article/2000148319/cid-release-blogger-abraham-mutai-arrested-for-belittling-the-big-people-in-government?
... [the ICC case] will be tried in Europe, where due procedure and expertise prevail.; ... Second-guessing Ocampo and fantasizing ..has obviously become a national pastime.- NattyDread

Offline RV Pundit

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Re: Blogger Mutai Now Released - To Be charged Later
« Reply #1 on: January 19, 2015, 08:06:57 AM »
The New Kanu regime need to be stopped on their tracks before they rewind all the hard won freedoms and rights. Kudos for those standing high like Mutai.

Offline Georgesoros

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Re: Blogger Mutai Now Released - To Be charged Later
« Reply #2 on: January 19, 2015, 02:20:50 PM »
Problem with Kenyans is that they don't know how to fight and Ouru uses every manouvre to harass them. Everyone has a right to  free speech, govt trying to curtail them is breaking the law.

Offline Omollo

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Re: Blogger Mutai Now Released - To Be charged Later
« Reply #3 on: January 19, 2015, 06:14:21 PM »
He is pushing them to the wall.
Quote from: Parkerpen on January 19, 2015, 02:20:50 PM
Problem with Kenyans is that they don't know how to fight and Ouru uses every manouvre to harass them. Everyone has a right to  free speech, govt trying to curtail them is breaking the law.
... [the ICC case] will be tried in Europe, where due procedure and expertise prevail.; ... Second-guessing Ocampo and fantasizing ..has obviously become a national pastime.- NattyDread

Offline Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants

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Re: Blogger Mutai Now Released - To Be charged Later
« Reply #4 on: January 19, 2015, 06:26:58 PM »
Arrested in Mombasa.  Where he is based.  Driven all the way to Nairobi. 

Was the alleged offence committed in Nairobi?

Couldn't they handle this in Mombasa?

Doesn't this disrupt his life?

Is there any legitimate justification for that?

"I freed a thousand slaves.  I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves."

Harriet Tubman

Offline RV Pundit

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Re: Blogger Mutai Now Released - To Be charged Later
« Reply #5 on: January 19, 2015, 06:30:47 PM »
And they are yet to complete investigation despite holding him overnight i think. That is just illegal. Police should complete investigation before arresting anybody.

If we had a civil police force..they would have served Mutai with summons to appear at CID...before going at him like he had committed murder.

Quote from: Windy City Assassin on January 19, 2015, 06:26:58 PM
Arrested in Mombasa.  Where he is based.  Driven all the way to Nairobi. 

Was the alleged offence committed in Nairobi?

Couldn't they handle this in Mombasa?

Doesn't this disrupt his life?

Is there any legitimate justification for that?


Offline Omollo

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Re: Blogger Mutai Now Released - To Be charged Later
« Reply #6 on: January 19, 2015, 07:52:46 PM »
Pundit

The intention is punitive. The arrest is part of the intimidation. They use the occasion to beat him and subject him to all manner of indignities which they then blame of the accused man for resisting arrest. The police need reforms but not the type they are asking old policemen to carry out.

Until police education is raised to diploma above and above, you will continue to see all these problems. There is no excuse to recruit school dropouts just so that the poorly educated senior police officers do not feel threatened. I have suggested that in even a degree holder from certain disciplines presents himself for recruitment, he should be automatically taken - even if he fails on the physical test. It is not that important anyway considering Arachi can't score 25% in it if my frail grandfather tested him. Most officers become physically unfit immediately they leave training

I have also wondered why every police station is not staffed by a legal team comprising of lawyers or advocates. They do not have to appear in court but can help to process these cases, determine who should be arrested by providing a legal opinion to police commanders. This is how most civilized countries operate. By the time the police present cases to the State Counsel, all the holes have been plugged or by the time one is being arrested, there is sufficient grounds for it.

Sadly, politics and politicians still run the police.
... [the ICC case] will be tried in Europe, where due procedure and expertise prevail.; ... Second-guessing Ocampo and fantasizing ..has obviously become a national pastime.- NattyDread

Offline Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants

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Re: Blogger Mutai Now Released - To Be charged Later
« Reply #7 on: January 20, 2015, 12:06:40 AM »
Quote from: RV Pundit on January 19, 2015, 06:30:47 PM
And they are yet to complete investigation despite holding him overnight i think. That is just illegal. Police should complete investigation before arresting anybody.

If we had a civil police force..they would have served Mutai with summons to appear at CID...before going at him like he had committed murder.

Quote from: Windy City Assassin on January 19, 2015, 06:26:58 PM
Arrested in Mombasa.  Where he is based.  Driven all the way to Nairobi. 

Was the alleged offence committed in Nairobi?

Couldn't they handle this in Mombasa?

Doesn't this disrupt his life?

Is there any legitimate justification for that?


I just saw the man's interview on youtube.   

They took his phone, and gadgets.  Obviously deleted his blog.  Obviously disabled his twitter.  Took him far away from home.  Burning his time without compensation.  To wait for obviously malicious charges.

What's remarkable is that he thinks the cops were really nice to him.  The expectations are so low, that if the cops merely violate your rights without cracking your skull, you are supposed to feel somehow okay.

There seems to be a well entrenched resistance to any suggestion of turning Kenya police into anything other than a colonial police force.

This notion of police arresting someone on the basis of a complaint related to reputation.  Is this is even legal?  Isn't the complainant supposed to file a suit in court?
"I freed a thousand slaves.  I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves."

Harriet Tubman

Offline veritas

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Re: Blogger Mutai Now Released - To Be charged Later
« Reply #8 on: January 20, 2015, 06:36:44 AM »
I hope he's ok. He's welcome to post here. As a matter of fact we should have a section for "bad boy bloggers" - criteria being - arrested for blogging. Protect their identities.

Offline Omollo

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Re: Blogger Mutai Now Released - To Be charged Later
« Reply #9 on: January 20, 2015, 02:23:00 PM »
If I ran a blog from Kenya, I doubt that i'd be walking around with login data on my smartphone. There is a way in which you can update but need tripple verification to delete anything. If anything I would give them wrong passwords and unleash a lockout lasting a week. Every Time it expires I would do it again. There are multiple methods of protecting your blog.

... [the ICC case] will be tried in Europe, where due procedure and expertise prevail.; ... Second-guessing Ocampo and fantasizing ..has obviously become a national pastime.- NattyDread

Offline Georgesoros

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Re: Blogger Mutai Now Released - To Be charged Later
« Reply #10 on: January 20, 2015, 02:51:41 PM »
Recently a lady blogger stated in her blog that the county of Meru doesn't have water. She was arrested.
Theintimidation in Kenya is real. The opposition is ASLEEP.

Offline Omollo

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Re: Blogger Mutai Now Released - To Be charged Later
« Reply #11 on: January 20, 2015, 03:52:23 PM »
She should have publicized her arrest.
Quote from: Parkerpen on January 20, 2015, 02:51:41 PM
Recently a lady blogger stated in her blog that the county of Meru doesn't have water. She was arrested.
Theintimidation in Kenya is real. The opposition is ASLEEP.
... [the ICC case] will be tried in Europe, where due procedure and expertise prevail.; ... Second-guessing Ocampo and fantasizing ..has obviously become a national pastime.- NattyDread

Offline vooke

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Re: Blogger Mutai Now Released - To Be charged Later
« Reply #12 on: January 20, 2015, 03:59:02 PM »
Looks like the quickest way to celebrity-hood is blogging
Omorlo, Should i dump preaching for blogging?
DO  I have what it takes?
2 Timothy 2:4  No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

Offline Omollo

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Re: Blogger Mutai Now Released - To Be charged Later
« Reply #13 on: January 20, 2015, 06:55:24 PM »
vooke

You missed it when I said that all the current leaders of Kenya today starting from the 90s are either former occupants of Nyayo House or KANU (Moi) Orphans. The fastest route to Parliament is through the Kenyan prison. Prison has created many leaders. This creation had stopped after the IPPG deal but thanks to Uhuru Kenyatta, the moulds have been cleaned and the furnaces dusted. A special coal by the name "Blog" has been discovered and is mined from some place called "The Internet".

I can assure you the new creations will be so powerful, they could run for President with other people's money! Just ask Obama. Wadi is stupid he is not cashing in on it. By my count he would by now be close to a million dollars - bila uchafu.



Quote from: vooke on January 20, 2015, 03:59:02 PM
Looks like the quickest way to celebrity-hood is blogging
Omorlo, Should i dump preaching for blogging?
DO  I have what it takes?
... [the ICC case] will be tried in Europe, where due procedure and expertise prevail.; ... Second-guessing Ocampo and fantasizing ..has obviously become a national pastime.- NattyDread
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