KNCHR CALLS FOR THE ARREST OF TIKTOKERS WHO MOCKED RAILA ODINGA JNR

Content creators on TikTok and other social media platforms who have published videos mocking Raila Odinga Jnr, the son of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, now face potential arrest and legal action. 

This follows a directive from the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), which has classified the online ridicule as a gross violation of the rights of a person with a disability.

In a press statement, the KNCHR expressed being “deeply troubled by the recent online mockery and harassment targeted at a person with disability.” The Commission stated that such actions contravene the Constitution of Kenya and the recently enacted Persons with Disabilities Act, 2025.

Chairperson Claris Ogangah announced that the KNCHR has documented the violations and is demanding an “immediate public apology from all individuals who have participated in the ridicule.” The Commission confirmed it is in possession of the social media accounts involved and “will in due course release their identities.“

Failure to comply with the apology demand will trigger legal consequences. The KNCHR has pledged to “work with relevant institutions to have the alleged perpetrators… face the law as provided in Section 67 of the Persons with Disabilities Act.”

Which stipulates that any person who commits or abets the degrading treatment of a person with a disability through words, signs, or visible representations commits an offence. Upon conviction, perpetrators are liable to a fine not exceeding Sh1 million shillings, imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, or both.

The Commission’s statement serves as a warning to online bullies, reinforcing that the right to human dignity, especially for persons with disabilities, is non-negotiable and will be enforced with the full weight of the law.