Concerns have been mounting over the disappearance of popular Twitter influencer Billy Simani aka Crazy Nairobian.
Sources close to the missing influencer intimate that he was apprehended due to his outspoken stance against the Finance Bill 2024.
Crazy Nairobian, who boasts of a quarter of a million active followers on Twitter (now known as X), is said to have been taken to an undisclosed location by the people who arrested him.
Netizens have been calling on the police to produce him as his whereabouts are still unknown.
However, Dennis Itumbi, a digital strategist who has connections with the government’s upper echelon, has since revealed that police have Crazy Nairobian in custody though he did not specify which police station he is being held.
Itumbi claimed that Crazy Nairobian was arrested for sending threatening messages even as netizens demanded he produce an OB number to prove the Twitter influencer was booked for the said charge(s).
“I have checked with Police why Crazy Nairobian, Billy, is under arrest. I understand he sent threatening message/s. I get hundreds of those myself, & they do not bother me. But well, it is a crime. I am unable to intervene, though I strongly disagree. I will reach out to the complainant to see if he/she can withdraw,” Itumbi wrote in a post on X on Saturday June 22, 2024.
The digital strategist additionally advocated for free speech.
“That said, when they used to arrest me, I used the court platform to argue TRUTH and FACTS. I am of the view that INSULTS are part of free speech. Insulting and criticing public servants should not be treated as a crime. I will leave the jury to decide if sending threatening messages should be treated as a crime. I would personally not bother report to police, but that I leave to the courts to determine,” Itumbi wrote.
He also called on public servants to develop resilience in the face of criticism.
“I also firmly hold that Public Servants should grow a THICK SKIN. Some of these arrests based on your complaints are unnecessary. They may not be ILLEGAL, but they are sincerely STUPID!” Itumbi added.
Arbitrary arrests
A coalition of 25 human rights organizations, encompassing content creators, lawyers, medical professionals, and defenders of civil liberties on Saturday, June 22, 2024, issued a statement on the arbitrary arrests of content creators.
The human rights organizations have urgently called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to disclose the whereabouts of Crazy Nairobian.
Prominent organizations such as the Bloggers Association of Kenya, The Law Society, Kenya Medical Association, Defenders Coalition, the Independent Medical Legal Unit, and Amnesty International Kenya are among those demanding answers.
The coalition has issued a series of demands:
1. Immediate release of Crazy Nairobian and any other content creators currently detained.
2. A public commitment from the Kenyan government that no individual will be arrested for expressing their opinions online or supporting protests.
3. Assurance that the right to freedom of expression, as enshrined in the Kenyan Constitution, will be upheld.
4. An independent investigation into these arrests to ensure accountability.
“Article 49 of the Kenyan Constitution outlines the rights of arrested individuals, including the right to be informed of the reason for arrest, the right to remain silent, and the right to communicate with an advocate.
“Detainees must be brought before a court within 24 hours and are entitled to reasonable conditions for bail unless compelling reasons exist,” the organizations said in a statement.
The coalition emphasized that any breach of these rights, including holding individuals incommunicado or denying visitation, constitutes a serious legal violation.
They warned that state officers responsible for such infractions could face legal consequences.
Kenyans with information about Crazy Nairobian’s case or similar incidents are encouraged to contact the following:
1. Defenders Coalition: 0716200100
2. Independent Medical Legal Unit: 0800721401
3. Amnesty International Kenya: 0759464346
4. Independent Policing Oversight Authority: 1559 (Toll-Free)
5. Kenya National Commission on Human Rights: 0800720627
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