In a dramatic turn following his acquittal in the controversial “Ruto coffin” case, Moi University student David Oaga Mokaya has now filed a KSh 200 million claim against Safaricom for data breach. He accuses the telecommunications giant of unlawfully releasing his private data.
Through his lawyers, Mokaya has described the suit as a landmark legal challenge that could redefine how subscriber data is handled in Kenya. The legal team alleges that Safaricom violated the Data Protection Act and breached constitutional protections under the Constitution of Kenya by disclosing his personal information to investigators without first obtaining a court order.
The new case stems from the earlier criminal proceedings in which Mokaya had been charged with publishing false information concerning President William Ruto. The prosecution had linked him to an X account that shared an image depicting a funeral procession with a casket draped in the Kenyan flag, allegedly suggesting it was the President’s funeral. He was acquitted yesterday, 19th of February 2026 after the court found that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that he authored or controlled the account.
Now, Mokaya’s legal team argues that in the course of investigations, Safaricom released his subscriber information without adhering to lawful data access procedures. The lawyers contend that any disclosure of private subscriber data must be backed by a valid court order and strictly comply with Kenya’s data protection framework.
They maintain that the alleged release of information not only violated statutory safeguards under the Data Protection Act but also infringed on Mokaya’s constitutional rights to privacy. The suit seeks KSh 200 million in damages, citing reputational harm, emotional distress, and the broader implications of unlawful data disclosure.
According to the lawyers, the case raises fundamental questions about subscriber privacy, the threshold for lawful interception or disclosure of personal data, and corporate accountability in handling customer information. They further argue that the outcome could set an important precedent on how telecom providers respond to investigative requests from law enforcement agencies.
Safaricom is yet to publicly respond to the claims but the case is likely to reignite debate around data privacy, corporate compliance, and the balance between supporting criminal investigations and safeguarding individual rights in Kenya’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.