Detectives have arrested David Onyango Elgon, also known as MC Adek Tatu, over alleged inflammatory social media posts linked to the Utumishi Girls Academy fire tragedy.
Police said the suspect was apprehended for allegedly publishing insensitive and inflammatory content on social media that sparked public outrage.
In a statement on May 30, 2026, the DCI said authorities trailed the suspect to his hideout at Queen’s Court in Utange, Mombasa County, where he was arrested at his residence.
“The offensive content, which was published on the suspect's Facebook account (MC Adek Tatu), has since gone viral across various social media platforms, threatening public order and peace,” the DCI said.
Acting on intelligence, detectives launched a manhunt that led to his arrest. The suspect is currently in custody and is undergoing processing ahead of his arraignment.
The DCI warned that the digital space is not a lawless space, adding that while freedom of expression is protected, publishing or distributing inflammatory content that incites public unrest is a criminal offence.
The suspect, however, later attributed the posts to a hacking incident involving his Facebook account.
“It is very unfortunate that my account was hacked and those outrageous posts were posted without my knowledge. Those sentiments are not attributed to me and neither do they portray who I am. I strongly condemn such posts with uttermost remorse,” he said.
The Utumishi Academy fire incident remains one of the worst fire tragedies in recent memory, claiming the lives of 16 students in what authorities suspect to be foul play.
So far, eight students are being held as persons of interest over the tragedy that triggered a full-scale criminal investigation into suspected arson.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations say they are now working alongside forensic experts and other agencies to establish how the fire started, with attention on possible deliberate ignition, witness accounts, and technical evidence gathered from the scene.
In a press statement on Friday, the DCI confirmed that it has launched “an in-depth investigation into the tragic fire incident that occurred on Thursday at Utumishi Girls Senior Secondary School in Gilgil, Nakuru County, in which sixteen students lost their lives.”