A Nairobi court has released a man accused of distributing pirated digital copies of Nation Media Group newspapers through WhatsApp.
Jackson Wangigi Kariuki, who was arraigned before Senior Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo at the Milimani Law Courts, was granted a personal bond of Ksh 100,000 after a medical report indicated he might not be mentally fit to stand trial.
The prosecution requested more time to allow Kariuki’s mother to appear at the mental hospital to provide his medical history, following the inconclusive psychiatric examination.
Kariuki is accused of unlawfully distributing digital versions of Daily Nation, Taifa Leo, Business Daily, and The East African via a WhatsApp group named “Daily E-Paper Forum” without authorization from Nation Media Group. The alleged offences were committed between June 3 and June 10, 2025, at an undisclosed location within Kenya.
He also faces charges of unlawfully offering infringing copies of the newspapers for sale. Kariuki has denied all charges.
Magistrate Onsarigo ordered a comprehensive mental health report to be submitted to the court by September 8, 2025, before further proceedings.
