Social media influencer Scorphine Maverick Aoko Otieno is facing severe health issues following her recent arrest and detention. Known for her vocal presence online, Aoko was taken into police custody on Friday after posting several controversial statements.
Reports suggest that officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrived at Aoko’s residence in the city and forcibly detained her. The arrest, which seemed to catch Aoko by surprise, reportedly took place while she was in a vulnerable state.
In a post shared on her X (formerly Twitter) account, Aoko recounted her distressing experience, alleging that she was arrested by 100 masked DCI officers. She claimed that she was subjected to harassment and questioned for hours about her tweets concerning a public figure named Soipan and the First Family. Following this interrogation, Aoko was held in detention for three days.
Aoko’s post also expressed her concern about the impact of the traumatic experience on her pregnancy, which she fears may be at risk due to the arrest and detention.
In a dramatic development, Aoko was charged in court on August 19, 2024. The complainant in the case is identified as Beth Wambui Mbuitu. Aoko faces three charges: the first alleges the publication of false information under Section 23 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act No. 5 of 2018. The second charge accuses her of cyber harassment under Section 27 of the same act. The third count involves the fraudulent use of electronic data under Section 38 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act No. 5 of 2018.
According to the charge sheet, Aoko is accused of spreading false and defamatory information about Wambui on her X account. The document states, “On August 3, 2024, at an unknown location within Kenya, Aoko, along with others not before the court, unlawfully published false, defamatory, and threatening information online using the X account ‘Maverick Aoko @AokoOtieno_.’”
Wambui claims that Aoko’s online posts were maliciously intended to incite fear and harm her professional reputation and personal well-being.
