Hanifa cautions govt critics to tread carefully after court releases Ruto impersonator

Prominent human rights activist Hanifa Farsafi has urged individuals critical of the government to exercise caution in their online commentary, particularly on social media platforms, following the release of Titus Wekesa Sifuna, the young man arrested for impersonating President William Ruto on X.

Sifuna, 22, who used the moniker “I Must Go” on the platform, was freed on a Ksh100,000 bail on Friday, April 25, 2025, after human rights advocates, including Hanifa, intervened in his case.

Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) leader Eugene Wamalwa also stood in solidarity with Sifuna during the court proceedings.

Wamalwa, in a post on X, condemned Sifuna’s arrest as symptomatic of a broader pattern of government repression against its critics.

“In Court today in solidarity with 22-year-old Titus Sifuna, who is being arraigned for allegedly trolling the President on X as the “I must Go guy”.
He was released on a cash bail of Kshs 100K .

“The continued harassment, arbitrary arrests ,abductions, killings and enforced disappearances particularly of our youth and Government critics in total violation of our Constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights and freedoms of speech, expression, and conscience by the repressive Ruto Regime must stop.

“A Regime that is afraid of it’s own children and that’s afraid of echoes and even it’s own shadow is like salt that has lost it’s saltiness and is not worthy being called a Government,” Eugine Wamalwa wrote on X.

However, Hanifa, while present to support Sifuna’s release, used the occasion to address the nature of some online criticism directed at government officials.

She specifically cautioned against the posting of manipulated images depicting male politicians in women’s clothing or the sexualization of their partners.

Hanifa argued that such tactics inadvertently feminise incompetence and degrade women.

“Now that Titus or I must go is free we can have that conversation. I honestly don’t think it’s okay to post pictures of male politicians dressed as women and in bikinis nor sexualize their partners. It’s not okay to feminize incompetence. It’s not okay to degrade women like that,” Hanifa stated on X.

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has frequently been the target of such digitally altered images.

Sifuna’s case

Sifuna was arrested in Bungoma County early this week and was accused of posting content on the X handle, calling himself the fifth President of Kenya under the username “I Must Go.”

Senior Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsaringo on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, ordered Sifuna to be detained for three days instead of the seven days as requested by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to complete their probe.

However, on Friday, the court released Sifuna on a Ksh1 million bond or an alternative cash bail of Ksh100,000.

This is after Milimani Court Senior Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo declined an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to continue detaining Sifuna for five more days.

Government and criticism

The arrest and release of Sifuna highlight the complex relationship between freedom of speech and the state’s ability to govern.

While the Kenya Kwanza government has faced accusations of stifling dissent, critics argue that some forms of online expression, such as impersonation and inflammatory satire, cross the line between protest and disruption.

The debate over these issues continues to evolve as political engagement increasingly moves to digital spaces, with social media playing an increasingly significant role in shaping political discourse.

For now, Hanifa’s cautious advice to critics may resonate with many, as she emphasizes the importance of political discourse that respects both freedom of expression and personal dignity. In a rapidly changing political landscape, the balance between the two remains delicate.