KENYA – Student sentenced to a year in jail for insulting President on social media

A Kenyan student has been sentenced to a year in prison after insulting President Uhuru Kenyatta on a social media site. Alan WadiOkengo, alias Lieutenant Wadi, must also pay a fine of $2,000 or serve a second year in jail.

Kenya has an active and vibrant online social media scene, and BBC’s reporter, Emmanuel Igunza has stated that recent cases have ignited a fierce debate about what is acceptable to publish online. Igunza did feel that the personal comments made by Okenga was not appropriate for online publication. This case comes as a Kenyan court suspended sections of a tough new and highly controversial security law.