A city lawyer was on Tuesday charged before a makadara court over tweets he made claiming that there will be a 90-day military take over.
Joshua Ayika was charged with two counts of committing subversive activities contrary to the law.
He is alleged to have tweeted “am not a prophet. neither am I a soothsayer but get it from me, between Wednesday-Friday next week we might have the army taking over from this “Biblical Regime.”
He also tweeted “”Prepare for an Army to take Over Government for the next 90 days then we shall have elections.”
The state claimed that the words tweeted by Ayika were prejudicial to the public order and security of the country further adding that the tweet suggested that the military would take over government.
Ayika denied the second count of publication of false information contrary to the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act of 2018.
Through his lawyer, Ayika pleaded with the court to grant him reasonable bail terms arguing that he was an officer of the court.
Ayika asked the court to release his mobile phone which was confiscated by police during his arrest.
Assistant DPP Joseph Riungu opposed the application for release of the phone saying it will be used as evidence during trial.
Riungu further asked court to make an order prohibiting Ayika from posting on his twitter account.
However, Chief Magistrate Francis Kyambia declined to gag Ayika and ruled that the police are free to charge and arrest him if he made illegal statements.
The court also refused to order for release of his mobile phone as had been requested by his lawyer.
He was released on a Sh 200,000 bond and a surety of the same amount or upon deposit of a Sh 100,000 cash bail.
The matter will be mentioned on September 12 for pre-trial.
