Long arm of the law catches up with blogger Cyprian Nyakundi

Blogger Cyprian Nyakundi (pictured) has been arrested in a case involving extortion.

Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives from Gigiri arrested Nyakundi and Emmanuel Nyamweya Ong'era after investigations touching on blackmail and false accusations.

The agency said the two had received Sh1 million from one of their victims.

The money was downpayment for some Sh17.5 million they earlier demanded, as a precondition for pulling down libellous posts appearing on a website owned by the suspects.

The money recovered will be used as an exhibit.

Nyakundi and Ong'era were taken to Gigiri Police Station, to be arraigned on Tuesday.

Blogger Nyakundi is not new to controversy surrounding his site.

In December 2018, politician Steve Mbogo and his wife Sabrina Jamal sued him over a defamatory publication.

They sought to have Nyakundi compelled to immediately retract all defamatory contents on his online pages.

At the time, Mbogo said there was no jurisdiction for Nyakundi to publish such an article concerning him because there was no evidence to support the allegations.

Lady Justice Jackie Kamau later that month barred Nyakundi from publishing the alleged defamatory piece against Mbogo and his wife.

Nyakundi is said to have published the articles on his website, Twitter and Facebook pages in November that year.

Justice Jackie Kamau while issuing the orders said she looked at the file and no response to the application and therefore allowed the orders as prayed.

“An injunction was issued restraining the respondent from publishing defamatory words against the applicant,” said Kamau.