By Patricia Mollyne Mataga
A Kabete Polytechnic student was on Monday arraigned before a Nairobi Court facing impersonation charges.
The student, Tyson Kibet, is accused of impersonating former Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko.
A charge sheet shared by Sonko indicate that the student was arrested on Saturday.
He is accused of opening a Facebook account in the name of the flamboyant politician which he has been using to con unsuspecting members of the public.
“On the 25th day of November 2023, at unknown place within the Republic of Kenya intentionally created a Facebook account using the name Mike Sonko without authority from the said Mike Sonko,” read the charge sheet.
He pleaded not guilty to among others charges of cyber squatting, contrary to section 28 of the computer misuse and cybercrime act no. 5 of 2001.
The suspect was later released on a Sh200,000 cash bail or Ksh1 million bond.
Sharing an update of the case, the former governor said many Kenyans had fallen victims of the impersonations.
Sonko said the accused had created a fake Facebook page using his name and turned it into a dating site.
“He’s been posting nude photos of women asking interested men to send money to connect them to ladies of their choice,” the former governor said.
He however expressed optimism that all culprits involved will be arrested to face the full force of the law.
“Numerous unsuspecting Kenyans have unfortunately fallen victims to scammers who deceive them by impersonating me on various social media platforms, purporting to offer loans and sponsorship,” Sonko said.
“We are still pursuing all the other impersonators on various social media platforms, including tiktok and IG. All the money they’ve been stealing from unsuspecting members of the public using my name watazitapika wait and see,” he added.
Meanwhile, Sonko said the courts will on Tuesday sentence a similar suspect.
The suspect, Newton Paul Kengere, was charged in December 2023 and has been in remand since then.