The President of the Atheists in Kenya Society, Harrison Nyende Mumia, has moved to court seeking a review of the bond and bail terms imposed on him, arguing that the conditions are beyond his financial means.
Mumia, who was arraigned on January 5, 2026, is facing multiple counts of false publication under Section 22(1) of the Computer Misuse and Cyber Crime Act No. 5 of 2018. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
In his application, Mumia asked the Nairobi court to reduce the bail and bond requirements, stating that he is unable to raise the amounts set by the court. However, the prosecution opposed the request, arguing that the defence had failed to demonstrate financial incapacity.
“Your Honour, we have been served with an affidavit where they indicate that the sole issue hindering them is that they could not find the accused person’s ID and passport. They did not state that they are unable to raise the amount; they only say they could not get his ID and passport,” the prosecution told the court.
According to the charge sheet, Mumia is accused of publishing false information on December 30, 2025, while at an unknown location within Kenya. The prosecution alleges that he used a pseudo-Facebook account under the name Robinson Kipruto Ngetich to post an image of President William Ruto, portraying him as dead despite knowing that the information was false.
The charges further state that, on the same date and using the same Facebook account, Mumia published another image depicting the President lying on a hospital bed in critical condition, again allegedly knowing the information to be untrue.
In addition, Mumia is accused of reposting the same images through his personal Instagram account, identified as Harrison Mumia with the username @harrisonmumia. Prosecutors allege that the posts falsely showed President Ruto as deceased and critically ill, in violation of the law governing false and misleading online publications.
Mumia denied all the allegations when he appeared in court, and a plea of not guilty was formally entered. The court is expected to rule on his application for a review of the bail and bond terms as the case proceeds.
The matter has drawn public attention amid ongoing debates in Kenya over freedom of expression, online conduct, and the enforcement of cybercrime laws in the digital space.
