- Vihiga senator Godfrey Osotsi visited Kinoo Police Station on Sunday to check on blogger Douglas Anyamah, who was arrested at his Nairobi residence
- Anyamah and a second blogger, Teddy Kidambi, face allegations of manufacturing and posting a clip linked to Kakamega governor Fernandes Barasa
- Both men face a cash bail of KSh 50,000 each, with Osotsi warning against using police for what he called political harassment of bloggers
Nancy Odindo is a current affairs writer at Tuko.co.ke (joined in 2023). She has one year of experience in print and more than five years in digital media.
Vihiga senator Godfrey Osotsi visited Kinoo Police Station in Kikuyu Constituency on Sunday, October 11, to check on popular blogger Douglas Anyamah, widely known as Anyamah Wa Anyamah, who had been arrested at his Nairobi residence and was set to be transported to Kakamega for processing.
Source: Twitter
Osotsi disclosed that Anyamah and a second blogger, Teddy Kidambi, were arrested on allegations of cyber harassment relating to a clip involving Kakamega governor Fernandes Barasa. Kidambi was being held at Kakamega Central Police Station at the time.
Bail terms and transfer to Kakamega
The senator said arresting officers informed him that both men would be released on a cash bail of KSh 50,000 each.
He added that bail processing for Kidambi was already under way and that efforts were in place to secure his release the same day.
Osotsi said police had assured him that Anyamah would not be harassed during the road transfer from Nairobi to Kakamega.
"We have been assured by the police that they will not harass the two gentlemen. They will handle them in a civil manner, and we hope that is going to be the case. We have alerted our people in Kakamega. They are on the ground to ensure that the two gentlemen are released today," he said.
He also confirmed that he had placed a lawyer in Kakamega on standby to handle both cases and that colleagues affiliated with the Linda Mwananchi blogger network, led by chief vlogger Abigael Zuena, accompanied him to the station along with Anyamah's wife.
Osotsi decries political harassment of bloggers
The senator used the press address to raise concerns about the manner of the arrest, arguing that police should have summoned Anyamah to record a statement rather than travelling from Kakamega to detain him at home on a weekend.
Source: Twitter
"It is unfair to target Vihiga county and not Kakamega people who originated that," Osotsi said, noting that both bloggers are from Vihiga county while the clip in question had circulated widely from Kakamega.
He called on politicians across the broad-based government arrangement to stop what he described as intimidation of young content creators.
"We want our bloggers to be protected from police harassment," he said, adding that the Linda Mwananchi network would not tolerate ongoing pressure on bloggers.
Osotsi emphasised that the allegations against the two men remained subject to further investigation and urged police to handle the matter professionally.
What Barasa said about viral clip
Meanwhile, Governor Fernandes Barasa responded to a viral video that his office said was manipulated using AI.
The footage sparked debate over political conduct and how easily AI-generated misinformation can spread.
Barasa’s office said it had begun legal proceedings against those it believes shared the video.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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