• He appeared on Wednesday before Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku at a Milimani court.
• Last month, Itumbi and witness Samuel Gateri were charged afresh in relation to a fake letter detailing an alleged attempt to assassinate the Deputy President.
Image: EZEKIEL AMING'A
Digital Secretary in the Presidency, Dennis Itumbi's case forwarded the fake assassination letter against Deputy President William Ruto to Tangatanga WhatsApp group, the court has heard.
Noah Keino, a clerk at Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute(KIRDI) and administrator of the WhatsApp group made the claim when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku at a Milimani court.
Further, Keino said that he could not confirm if Itumbi authored the letter since he saw it in three other WhatsApp groups and on Facebook.
Being a group administrator, Keino also said that creation of the group was necessitated by the feeling that Ruto was not getting enough publicity ahead of the 2022 general elections
Last month, Digital strategist Itumbi and witness turned suspect Samuel Gateri were charged afresh in relation to a fake letter detailing an alleged attempt to assassinate Ruto.
Both of Itumbi and Gateri pleaded not guilty to charges of publishing a false statement contrary to the law.
Gateri allegedly made a letter dated May 30 purporting it had been signed by a Cabinet Secretary.
Initially listed as a witness against Irumbi, Gateri had filed an application to withdraw in the case citing harassment from the investigating officers.
DCI had dismissed claims that Gateri was among the state witnesses saying he was a man under investigation.
However, Gateri's name was among the names listed by the prosecution in the initial charge sheet against Itumbi.
Gateri had previously told the court that police officers had forced him to admit he had talked to Ruto over the assassination plot claim.
In an affidavit, Itumbi told the court that he has audio and video recording material that shows a meeting could have happened at the La Mada hotel which discussed the possibility of assassinating Ruto.
Itumbi, however, said he would not disclose his sources on grounds that he is a journalist and bound by ethics not to disclose them.
Itumbi said upon his arrest, he was told to admit that he authored the alleged letter by a Cabinet Secretary.