Kitui blogger who went missing to be arraigned

Kitui-based blogger Emmanuel Maleve (in handcuffs) at Muthaiga Police Stattion. [Stephen Nzioka, Standard]

A Kitui-based blogger, Emmanuel Maleve, who was dramatically arrested by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) outside a shopping mall in Kitui town on Thursday evening, is set to be arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts shortly.

According to his lawyer, Noel Musya, Maleve was apprehended by plainclothes officers from DCI headquarters in Kiambu and later booked at Muthaiga Police Station.

“We are yet to establish what led to his arrest, and we haven’t accessed the charge sheet. What we have so far seen is a statement from the Occurrence Book (OB) at Muthaiga Police Station indicating the journalist was arrested due to publishing false information on his blog ‘Hopkin Digital’ and cyberbullying. He is expected to be presented in court later today,” Musya told The Standard.

The blogger is reported to have been critical of developments in Kitui South Constituency and has previously clashed with area MP Rachael Kaki.

In a recent post, he accused the third-term MP of failing to establish a functioning NG-CDF oversight committee and called for investigations into the use of public funds over recent financial years.

His arrest has sparked public outcry, with the Kitui Media Unity (KMU) issuing a statement condemning what it termed as police intimidation of journalists.

“Kitui Media Unity strongly condemns the arbitrary arrest of blogger Emmanuel Maleve, popularly known as Hopkin, by officers from the DCI. This action represents a blatant attack on media freedom and the constitutional right to freedom of expression as guaranteed under Articles 33 and 34 of the Constitution of Kenya", KMU said in a statement.

KMU further described Maleve as “a respected digital journalist and voice for the Kitui community,” stating that his arrest, carried out without due process or transparent justification, sets a dangerous precedent and threatens national values.

National Liberal Party leader Dr Augustus Kyalo Muli also criticised the arrest.

"We need police to arrest people with decorum and identification. It was wrong for them to act as abductors with Kitui Central Police Station bosses being unaware of such an operation," said Muli.

The MP said she reported the matter of her defamation by the said blogger at the Kitui DCI offices verbally in November last year and followed it up in writing to the DCI Headquarters in Nairobi on February 5, 2025.

The matter has since been under investigation, leading to the blogger's arrest.

The legislator said she did not want to comment further on the matter as it was still actively under investigation.

But Maleve defended his writing on corruption in Kitui South, stating that they were based on the report of the Auditor General.