Maverick Aoko Otieno was released from police custody on a Kes 100,000 cash bail on Monday evening after pleading not guilty to three counts of publication of false information.
The blogger, arrested at her home on Friday, is set to return to court on September 2 for a pre-trial hearing.
The court heard that her laptop and phone, seized during her arrest, would not be released because detectives were still investigating the matter.
Aoko is accused of using her social media handle to spread false and defamatory information about complainant Beth Wambui Mbuitu.
According to her charge sheet, the suspect is accused of posting a tweet described as malicious, false, and well-planned to harm the complainant's reputation.
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She posted the tweet on August 3, 2024, saying: “Maze it disorients me to say this.. But Amber Ray is innocent. She did not ruin marriage ya Jamal Amira.. Beth did..She’s the daughter of a powerful cop so if you find me thrown Kware, refer to this tweet… Ask how Jamal moved from Makanga wa South C to Matatu boss… Ndio naanza.”
According to the charge sheet, the remarks violated Section 23 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act of 2018, which states that if found guilty, a person faces a Kes 5 million fine, a 10-year prison sentence, or both.
"A person who knowingly publishes false information in print, broadcast, data, or over a computer system, that is calculated or results in panic, chaos, or violence among citizens of the Republic, or that is likely to discredit a person's reputation, commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding Kes5 million or ten years in prison, or both," reads a portion of the Act.
Three witnesses, including Sergeant Norah Shigi, a Digital Forensics expert at Kenya's Communications Authority, and Chief Inspector Nickson Kinyua, are scheduled to testify.
