By Dorothy Musyoka
A Mombasa court has ordered the continued detention of journalist Peter Maseke Mwita for an additional five days, as police seek more time to complete investigations into allegations linked to the circulation of information on WhatsApp.
Chief Magistrate Dominica Nyambu granted the prosecution’s request on Friday, directing that Mwita remain in police custody while investigations continue.
However, the prosecution has yet to clearly state the specific charges the journalist is expected to face.
Mwita, who works with Al Shifaa Media Services in Mombasa, was arrested on 31 December 2025 after responding to a police summons.
He had reportedly been called in to record a statement regarding information circulating on WhatsApp about alleged criminal gang activities in Kisauni, Mombasa.
Investigators told the court that the complaint was lodged by Kisauni Member of Parliament, Hon. Rashid Juma Bedzimba, who raised concerns over the dissemination or possible authorship of the information.
Despite this, Mwita’s lawyers and media advocates say the circumstances surrounding his arrest and continued detention remain unclear.
The court’s decision has triggered sharp criticism from media organisations and civil society groups, who argue that the detention amounts to intimidation of a journalist engaged in investigative reporting.
Speaking outside the Mombasa Law Courts, senior advocate Zedekiah Andika condemned the arrest, saying Mwita was being punished for probing issues that have long affected residents of Mombasa.
“This is a journalist doing investigative work on a matter that has troubled the people of Mombasa for a long time,” Andika said.
“When a journalist starts asking who is behind criminal gangs and who is financing them, he ends up in police cells. That is intimidation, and it must stop,” he added.
Andika urged journalists not to be intimidated and called on the media to continue investigating the root causes of gang violence and violent extremism in the county.
The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) also expressed concern over Mwita’s arrest and continued detention. Coast Region Coordinator Maurine Mudi said the council was troubled by what it described as a lack of transparency and due process in the case.
“Maseke is not a flight risk. He is known, he has a family, children and a job.Granting bail would have been the most appropriate decision. What is being questioned was a raw copy that had not been published. He was still seeking facts from authorities,” Mudi said.
Mwita’s wife, Pauline Mwita, made an emotional appeal, saying the detention was taking a heavy toll on their family.
“My husband has not committed any crime. He was only trying to help society and protect Mombasa,” she said.
“We have children, one of them is unwell, and schools are about to open. I don’t understand why he has to be detained for doing the right thing,” she lamented.
Human rights organisations have also weighed in, warning that the case reflects a broader pattern of shrinking civic and media space in the country. Hussein Khalid, CEO of Vocal Africa Human Lobby Group, said journalists were increasingly being targeted for exposing criminal networks.
“Journalists are being gagged for doing their work. We will not be silenced. We will continue to speak about the criminal gangs destroying lives in Mombasa and those who support them,” Khalid said.
Mwita is expected back in court after the five-day detention period, as pressure mounts on authorities to either charge him or release him on bail.