TikToker Gitonga Archives arrested in Nakuru over Sh500,000 extortion claims

Joseph Gitonga Kihanya, also known as Gitonga Archives, was arrested in Nakuru and brought before a Nairobi court due to a warrant for failing to attend a trial in a Sh500,000 extortion case. The case involved a media service provider associated with a local bank. Gitonga was transferred to Nairobi on October 9 and appeared before the City Court, where his lawyer, Joshua Nyamori, requested the reinstatement of his bail.

Nyamori claimed that Gitonga had missed earlier proceedings due to health issues, but no medical documents were provided to support this claim. The court then revoked Gitonga's bail and ordered his continued detention until October 26, when bail would be reconsidered. Gitonga is charged with demanding property through threats, as per Section 302 of the Penal Code.

Prosecutors allege that he collaborated with an unnamed individual to demand Sh500,000 from Amos Hunja Mwangi, a media service provider, between July 20 and July 27, 2025. The alleged extortion was linked to a video posted on Gitonga's TikTok account, claiming that Sh1.6 billion had been stolen from a bank account. Gitonga allegedly threatened to continue releasing damaging content about the bank if the money was not paid.

Gitonga pleaded not guilty during earlier proceedings. The court had earlier issued a gag order, prohibiting Gitonga from discussing the case publicly on social media.