This archive report was first published on 29 June 2019.
On June 28, 2019, Robert Alai, a prominent Kenyan blogger, took to Twitter to ask for donations from well-wishers to help him cover legal fees and other costs associated with his court case.
Alai, who has been detained for 14 days, is accused of sympathizing with terrorists after sharing a gory photograph of dead police officers whose vehicle had run over an improvised explosive device (IED).
His Twitter post, which included a link to an article from his KahawaTungu blog, sparked a mix of reactions from his followers, with some poking fun at the situation and others showing sympathy.
Some of his followers, however, were quick to make light of the situation, with one user joking that Alai had thought of converting his stay in jail into a money-making venture.
Others suggested that they had better things to do with their money, while a few were more sympathetic, advising Alai to think of the repercussions of his tweets in the future.
