NAIROBI, Kenya Jul 31 – A Chuka University law student has denied a charge of publishing offensive information after allegedly posting a controversial video on TikTok that referenced President William Ruto and his son, George Ruto.
The student, Hesbon Mauti Thomas, appeared before Trial Magistrate Geoffrey Onsaringo, where he pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Thomas had initially admitted the offence when he first appeared in court. However, the plea was later changed after his defence team, comprising advocates Danstan Omari, Cliff Ombeta and Shadrach Wambui, successfully applied for a fresh plea.
The defence argued that the student was unrepresented during his initial appearance and did not fully understand the nature and consequences of the charge before entering his plea.
According to the prosecution, the alleged offence occurred on June 25, when Thomas is said to have published offensive content on his TikTok account. Prosecutors allege the post contained remarks referring to the President and George Ruto, leading to his prosecution.
During the bail application, the defence told the court that Thomas is an orphan whose university education is being sponsored by a church. They urged the court to grant him lenient bail terms to enable him to continue with his studies while awaiting trial.
The court allowed the application and released the student on a cash bail of Sh5,000 pending the hearing of the case.
The matter will be mentioned on August 18, 2026, for pre-trial directions.
