This archive report was first published on 4 August 2020.
On July 30, 2020, blogger Edgar Obare was arrested at his home in Kisumu and brought to Nairobi, where he was detained at Muthaiga Police Station over the weekend.
Obare was charged with the offence of unlawful disclosure of personal data contrary to section 72 (3) (b) as read with section 73 of the Data Protection Act No. 24 of 2019.
According to his charge sheet, Obare allegedly unlawfully disclosed to his followers personal data of visa belonging to Natalie Wanjiru Githinji without her consent, using his social media accounts and verified Instagram account @edgarobare.
On July 27, 2020, Natalie Tewa had posted on her Twitter account blaming people for soiling her name, saying, “We have such a terrible culture of tearing other people down in the name of gossip. There’s already too much negativity in this world, contributing to it doesn’t improve your life or take you higher. Instead use your time wisely, because every minute of our lives counts.”
Obare had previously stirred debate by linking Tewa to a Dubai trip by Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho and Suna East MP Junet Mohamed, claiming that Tewa was part of the entourage.
However, Tewa denied being part of the entourage, and there was no image of her in the viral post.
