A city court has ordered police to arrest a blogger-cum- TikToker Joseph Gitonga Kihanya alias 'Gitonga Archives' for failing to appear in court on Wednesday for trial in a KES 500,000 extortion case.
Mr Kihanya who is also a street activist, was expected to face his accusers in the case filed by an official of a leading lender.
Issuing the warrant, city court senior resident magistrate Sharon Ouko ordered police to track down the accused who allegedly posted defamatory videos in the social media disparaging the name of the top bank official.
“I apply for a warrant of arrest to be issued against Kihanya who has failed to turn up for his trial,” a prosecuting counsel urged.
The prosecutor informed the magistrate that the TikToker is out on a bond of KES 100,000 with an alternative cash bail of KES 50,000.
The magistrate heard no information was relayed to court regarding the whereabouts of the accused.
The prosecutor urged the court to extend orders prohibiting and gagging Kihanya from publishing any offending article against Cooperative Bank or any of its staff regarding the pending case against him in his social media platform-Gitonga Archives pending the determination of the criminal case filed against him.
Kihanya is accused of demanding Sh500,000 from Mr Amos Hunja Mwangi to pull down an alleged defamatory video he had published in his TikTok account.
Kihanya has denied the charge filed against him by the director of public prosecutions.
The prosecuting counsel Rama Mwanaidi and the banks lawyer Diana Ogula urged the court to extend orders restraining Kihanya from further publishing the defamatory saying it “is hurting the bank and its staff.”
Ms Mwanaidi said the accused demanded the KES 500,000 from the Hunja to pull down the article said to have been read by over 130,000 followers of Gitonga Archives.
“The alleged offending article has been re-published in other social media platforms including a TV station,” Ms Mwanaidi stated.
Ms Ogula urged Ms Ouko to gag the blogger and the Tiktoker from publishing the defamatory publication.
“This article has hurt and tarnished the reputation of the bank and its senior staff on a ray of social media accounts and platforms,” the court heard.
The charge sheet reads that between July 20 and July 27, 2025, within Nairobi County, Kihanya jointly with another not before court, with menaces, demanded a sum of KES 500,000 from Hunja with intent to steal.
"Mr Kihanya told me plainly that if I didn't pay him KES 500,000, he would continue pushing the story online and drag the Cooperative Bank's name through the mud," claimed Hunja 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 KES 20,000 to allow for further investigation and compilation of the case file," the court heads
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 the 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 great following in TikToker with 130,000 followers," lawyer Nyamori said
Added he, "He has no stable income and survives on good will from people. He is not in a position to raise hefty bail terms."
