A Nairobi court has ordered popular TikToker Gitonga Archives to undergo a mental assessment at Kenyatta National Hospital after he was arrested for missing court appearances in an extortion case. City Court Magistrate Grace Ouko gave the directive on Monday, October 26, after the content creator appeared before her following his arrest for failing to honour his bail terms.
The matter has turned serious for the TikToker. The court has cancelled his earlier bond, and his legal position is now under review. He is facing a charge of demanding property with menaces, which is an offence under the Penal Code involving threats and intimidation to get money. He has denied the charge.
According to the prosecution, the case goes back to July 2025. Prosecutors allege that between July 20 and July 27 that year, he worked with another person to demand Ksh500,000 from a media service provider linked to a local bank. The prosecution says the demand came shortly after he posted a TikTok video claiming that Ksh1.6 billion had been stolen from a bank account. Investigators were reportedly told that he threatened to publish more damaging material about the institution if the money was not paid.
His defence team has explained his absence from earlier hearings by pointing to ill health. His lawyer asked the court to reinstate his bail and said his client had missed court because he was unwell. However, it is reported that medical documents were not presented to support that claim, and this has made the court cautious.
The TikToker is well known for posting videos about alleged corruption, financial scandals and governance issues. He often uses his social media pages to question public institutions and public figures. He is also linked to the Bunge la Wananchi grassroots movement and regularly weighs in on politics and trending social issues, which has earned him a large following.
On the question of mental assessment, Kenyan courts can order one when there are doubts about whether an accused person can understand the charges against him, follow court proceedings or communicate properly with his lawyer. Section 11 of the Penal Code also presumes that every person is of sound mind unless evidence shows otherwise. Courts may use psychiatric evidence to guide decisions on criminal responsibility or on the right treatment, but an assessment on its own does not prove mental illness or decide the outcome of a case.
