A 25-year-old political science student at Moi University has been sentenced to a year in prison for insulting Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta on Facebook. Alan Wadi Okengo, also known as Lieutenant Wadi, has also been told to pay a fine of $2,200 (£1,400) or serve a second year in jail. The posts were reportedly in opposition to the new security law, which was signed by the president a fortnight ago despite outcry from the opposition in Parliament.

Mr. Okengo pleaded guilty to two charges of hate speech for using “unprintable insults” against the president and also for demeaning authority of a public officer.
The charge against him stated that “the message he sent was calculated to to bring into contempt the lawful authority of the President of the Republic of Kenya.”
Kenyan website, The Daily Nation reported that Okengo was arrested when he tried to sneak out of the country on New Year Eve brought back to Nairobi CID headquarters where he was interrogated.
He reportedly told the magistrate, Ann Kaguru, that he was prepared to “apologised to President Kenyatta personally if he was not handed down a custodial sentence.”


However the magistrate, in announcing the sentence, said “the offence is serious and a deterrent penalty is called for to serve as a warning to others abusing the social media forums.” Kenyatta faces huge opposition on new law The controversial new security law has seen fierce resistance from the opposition who say that Kenya was turning into a “police state” and that the bill, if passed would further compromise the county’s democratic beliefs. “The real target of this ‘law’ is not terrorism. Its aim is to reintroduce the police state and political hegemony,” the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) said in a statement. The new law will allow security agencies in the country to “detain terror suspects for up to one year, to tap communications without court consent.” Journalists in the country would also have to seek permission from the police before publishing any story on terrorism related issues, while landlords and hotels would be compelled to provide security officers with information about their tenants and guests. The president has defended the law arguing that the government needs more power in order to combat the Militant Islamist group al-Shabab who had intensified their attacks in the country in recent times, including two attacks in December which killed more than 60 people.

Source: http://www.citifmonline.com/2015/01/02/student-jailed-insulting-kenyan-president-facebook/#sthash.JDAopy0O.dpuf

That is nonsense now. its an abuse on freedom of speech.

The guy most have thought that Kenya is Nigeria.

Chai they should not start this in nigeria else many APC e-rats will spend their useful life in jail.

What a president we have??....In the days of Buhari if u criticise the govt ah may God help you. GEJ is God sent, the man they go about insulting yet he's been meek amidst all the insults and senseless criticisms.
God bless GEJ
God bless Nigeria

ogb5:
The guy most have thought that Kenya is Nigeria.

Chai they should not start this in nigeria else many APC e-rats will spend their useful life in jail.

go to usa and see the mockery and insult obama recieves even frm democrats after killing bin laden and giving their economy a boost. Critics of government is what makes governance alive and responsible

ovadoze:
What a president we have??....In the days of Buhari if u criticise the govt ah may God help you. GEJ is God sent, the man they go about insulting yet he's been meek amidst all the insults and senseless criticisms.
God bless GEJ
God bless Nigeria

wake up this is democracy. U can as well thank gej 4 the breadth u breath. That was common with all military. When obj was military u could not speak against him but when he came back as democrat people critized him and basketmouth etc called him ape and all that in his presence

oziegbe2015:
wake up this is democracy. U can as well thank gej 4 the breadth u breath. That was common with all military. When obj was military u could not speak against him but when he came back as democrat people critized him and basketmouth etc called him ape and all that in his presence

MtcheEEew, u forgot to tell me that Kenya is in a democracy too.
Buhari can only be compared with Abacha, a leopard can never change its spots

Cool, This human Left (right ) is now abused

Nigerians take freedom of speech for granted, look at what is happening in other countries

oziegbe2015:
wake up this is democracy. U can as well thank gej 4 the breadth u breath. That was common with all military. When obj was military u could not speak against him but when he came back as democrat people critized him and basketmouth etc called him ape and all that in his presence

and idris sang "nigeria jagajaga" and went on an exile ,cos obj was furious with him

uzolexis:
Nigerians take freedom of speech for granted, look at what is happening in other countries

if u dint knw, kenya has one of the most free speech fredoms in africa. The president gets insulted on a daily basis, from left right and center. Even the president himself once said he doesnt care if u insulted him. There is a political satire show that mocks the government of kenya in a way it cnt happen in nigeria, anyway bck to freedom of speech. That same law also gives the right to anyone who has been offended by ur freedom of speech to go to court, also due to hateful and incitement speeches that led to post election violence that killed 1300 people in kenya, if u post any materials that incites or offends other communities (racism or tribalism) then u can be charged in court. There is a very thin line between the two, i have at many times mocked the president myself right on his fb page, u just have to knw where not to cros the line. The guy should have read the kenyan constitution b4 doing what he did. Bcoz in kenya, any1 can go to court. If u insult me in a way that makes me feel violated on facebook, and i take that caption and report u to the police, and u live in kenya, u could end up in jail. I remember 1 of my school mates ended up serving 6 month jail term just after highskul after making coments on fb that the school principle was a disgrace to his comunity and his head deserved to be chopped of and be stuck on the school gate's metal pikes....

KenJak:
That is nonsense now. its an abuse on freedom of speech.

If GMB ever gets to Aso Rock expect something much harder than the Kenyan law... U will use ur eyes to see how human‘s right is been abused by a ‘civilian‘ Aso resident...
Thank GOD for GEJ...


Sigh Buhari...

GEJ is God sent to Nigeria.