A blogger-cum-TikToker, Joseph Gitonga Kihanya, alias Gitonga Archives, charged with extorting Sh500,000 from a senior employee of a leading lender to pull down a disparaging video from social media, has been remanded in prison custody after jumping bail for two months.
Kihanya, who has denied demanding KES 500,000 from Mr Amos Hunja Mwangi to pull down an allegedly defamatory video he had published on his TikTok account, was remanded in custody.
Mr Mwangi is a senior employee of Cooperative Bank Limited.
Mr Kihanya, also a street activist, was expected to face his accusers on August 12, 2026, in a case filed by an official of a leading lender but skipped court, leading to the issuance of a warrant of arrest.
Police arrested Gitonga on Friday, October 9, 2026, in Nakuru Town, where they had traced him, before transferring him to Nairobi.
“Following this court’s order on August 12, 2026, police arrested the accused herein, whom they traced in Nakuru. They have returned the warrant of arrest, and the accused is in court,” prosecuting counsel Rama Mwanaidi told city court senior resident magistrate Sharon Ouko.
The prosecutor sought to cancel the accused’s bond so that he could be tried while in prison.
The court heard that the accused had flouted the bond terms by skipping the hearing of the case against him.
A defence lawyer informed the court that the accused had been unwell but did not produce supporting medical records.
“This court notes that the accused jumped bail and has not presented any evidence as to why he failed to turn up for the hearing of the case,” Ms Ouko observed.
She allowed the prosecution’s plea and cancelled his bond. The case has been listed for mention on October 26, 2026, for further directions.
While applying for the warrant of arrest, the prosecutor informed the magistrate that the TikToker was out on a bond of KES 100,000, with an alternative cash bail of KES 50,000.
The magistrate heard that no information had been relayed to the court regarding the whereabouts of the accused.
At the same time, the prosecutor prayed that the court extend orders prohibiting and gagging Kihanya from publishing any offending article against Cooperative Bank or any of its staff regarding the pending case on his social media platform, Gitonga Archives, pending the determination of the criminal case filed against him.
Kihanya is accused of demanding KES 500,000 from Mr Amos Hunja Mwangi to pull down an allegedly defamatory video he had published on his TikTok account.
Kihanya has denied the charge filed against him by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Ms Mwanaidi and the bank’s lawyer, Diana Ogula, urged the court to extend the orders restraining Kihanya from further publishing the defamatory material, saying it “is hurting the bank and its staff”.
Ms Mwanaidi said the accused demanded KES 500,000 from Hunja to pull down the article, which is said to have been viewed by over 130,000 followers of Gitonga Archives.
“The alleged offending article has been republished on other social media platforms, including a TV station,” Ms Mwanaidi stated.
Ms Ogula urged Ms Ouko to gag the blogger and TikToker from publishing the defamatory material.
“This article has hurt and tarnished the reputation of the bank and its senior staff on a range of social media accounts and platforms,” the court heard.
The charge sheet reads that between July 20 and 27, 2025, within Nairobi County, Kihanya, jointly with another person not before the court, demanded a sum of KES 500,000 from Hunja with menaces, with intent to steal.
“Mr Kihanya told me plainly that if I didn’t pay him Sh500,000, he would continue pushing the story online and drag the Cooperative Bank’s name through the mud,” Hunja claims in his statement to police.
The case was first reported under OB 49/27/07/2025 at Central Police Station, Nairobi.
According to the police report forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the accused was arrested without a warrant on July 30, 2025.
“He was released on police cash bail of KES 20,000 to allow for further investigation and compilation of the case file,” the court heard.
After denying the charge, Kihanya, through his lawyers, Joshua Nyamori and Black Omanga, applied to be released on reasonable bail terms, saying he is sickly and a man of straw who cannot raise a hefty bond.
“Kihanya, who is a member of Bunge la Wananchi, is not a flight risk. He is well known and has a great following on TikTok, with 130,000 followers,” lawyer Nyamori said.
He added: “He has no stable income and survives on the goodwill of people. He is not in a position to raise hefty bail terms.”
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