Court orders TikToker to undergo mental assessment in Sh500,000 extortion case

 

TikToker and Street activist Joseph Gitonga is facing a charge of demanding property with menaces. [Nancy Gitonga, Standard]

TikToker and street activist Joseph Gitonga Kihanya, alias Gitonga Archives, has been ordered by a Nairobi court to undergo a mental assessment in a Sh500,000 extortion case.

City Court Magistrate S Ouko on Monday directed the Industrial Area Remand Prison to escort Gitonga to Kenyatta National Hospital for the assessment after a probation officer reported difficulties obtaining coherent responses from him during an interview.

“Your Honour, I have been trying to interview the accused person, but when I ask a question, he seems to be confused and unable to respond,” the probation officer told the magistrate.

The magistrate directed that the assessment be conducted before the matter returns to court on November 3, 2026.

“This court directs the Industrial Area Prison to escort the accused person to Kenyatta National Hospital for the mental assessment,” Magistrate Ouko directed.

Gitonga is facing a charge of demanding property with menaces, contrary to Section 302 of the Penal Code, over allegations that he demanded Sh500,000 from Amos Hunja Mwangi, a media service provider linked to a co-operative bank

The prosecution alleges that Gitonga acted jointly with another person who has not been brought before the court to demand the money from Hunja.

The alleged offence occurred between July 20 and July 27, 2025, within Nairobi County.

According to the prosecution, the demand was linked to a video published on Gitonga’s TikTok account in which he allegedly claimed that Sh1.6 billion had been stolen from a bank account.

Prosecutors further allege that Gitonga demanded payment in exchange for removing the video and refraining from publishing additional content concerning the financial institution.

Hunja reportedly told detectives that Gitonga threatened to release more material that could damage the bank’s reputation if the money was not paid.

Gitonga has denied the allegations and previously pleaded not guilty to the charge.

He had been released on a cash bail of Sh50,000 pending trial jumped bail, prompting a warrant of arrest to be issued against him.

Weeks later, officers from Central police station arrested him and detained him at Industrial Area Remand Prison

The court is expected to mention the case on November 3, 2026, for an update on the mental assessment and further directions.