NAIROBI, Kenya – The Kibera Law Courts has deferred the plea-taking of a man accused of cyber harassment over a message allegedly sent to a magistrate, after the prosecution sought to have the case transferred to the Milimani Law Courts.
The prosecution applied for the plea to be deferred and the case file transferred to Milimani, an application that was opposed by the defence.
In its ruling on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, the Kibera court said it was of the view that handling the case at the court could lead to allegations of bias.
The court said concerns over alleged violations of the accused person’s rights could be addressed once he takes plea.
The accused, Francis Kamau Karanja, was ordered to remain in custody and appear before Milimani Court 1 on Thursday for plea-taking.
Man Accused Of Threatening Magistrate
Karanja faces a charge of cyber harassment contrary to Section 27(1)(a), as read with Section 27(2), of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act.
According to the charge sheet, Karanja allegedly sent a message on September 28, 2026, to a mobile number registered in the name of Magistrate Margaret Murage.
The prosecution alleges that the message referred to the handling of a case involving Gabriel Saka and contained words likely to cause apprehension or fear of violence to the magistrate.
Karanja is yet to take plea in the matter.
The transfer application was prompted by the involvement of a judicial officer in the allegations, with the Kibera court citing the potential for allegations of bias if the case proceeded before it.
The accused is expected to appear before Milimani Court 1 on Thursday, where the charges will be read to him and the court will consider the next steps in the case.
