Court orders TikToker arrested for skipping Sh500,000 extortion case

A city court in Kenya has ordered police to arrest TikTok influencer Joseph Gitonga Kihanya for failing to appear in court for a Sh500,000 extortion case. Kihanya, also known as Gitonga Archives and a street activist, was expected to face his accusers in the case filed by a Cooperative Bank official. The magistrate, Sharon Ouko, issued a warrant for Kihanya's arrest, demanding the police locate the accused who allegedly posted defamatory videos on social media targeting the bank official.

The prosecution argued that Kihanya, who posted the offending article, is currently out on a bond of Sh100,000 with an alternative cash bail of Sh50,000. The magistrate was informed that the court was not given any updates on the accused's whereabouts. The prosecution urged the court to extend orders prohibiting Kihanya from publishing any defamatory content against Cooperative Bank or its staff on his social media platform, Gitonga Archives, until the criminal case is resolved.

Kihanya is accused of demanding Sh500,000 from Amos Hunja Mwangi to remove a defamatory video he had posted on his TikTok account. He has denied the charges brought by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The prosecution, along with the bank's lawyer Diana Ogula, urged the court to extend restraining orders to prevent Kihanya from further publishing the defamatory content, stating that it is damaging the bank's reputation and that of its employees.

Hunja testified that Kihanya threatened him, saying that if he did not pay the Sh500,000, the accused would continue publishing the story online, tarnishing the Cooperative Bank's name. The case was first reported under OB49/27/07/2025 at the Central Police Station in Nairobi. Kihanya was arrested without a warrant on July 30, 2025, and released on police cash bail of Sh20,000 to allow for further investigation and case file compilation.

His lawyers, Joshua Nyamori and Black Omanga, argued that Kihanya is sickly and cannot afford a high bail amount, stating that he is not a flight risk.