TikToker Gitonga Archives Ordered to KNH for Mental Assessment

A Nairobi court has ordered popular TikToker Joseph Gitonga Kihanya, widely known as “Gitonga Archives,” to undergo a mental assessment at Kenyatta National Hospital following his arrest in Nakuru for jumping bail in a KSh500,000 extortion case.

City Court Magistrate Grace Ouko issued the directive on Monday after police transferred Gitonga from Nakuru to Nairobi. The arrest follows an outstanding warrant issued on October 1 after Gitonga failed to appear for a scheduled court hearing.

While defense attorney Joshua Nyamori urged the court to reinstate his client’s bail – claiming illness prevented Gitonga from attending the earlier session – the defense team presented no medical records to substantiate the claim.

Consequentially, Magistrate Ouko canceled Gitonga’s bond and remanded him in custody while the court evaluates his application for fresh bail. The court-ordered psychiatric evaluation will proceed as the legal case continues.

Origins of the Extortion Case

Gitonga faces criminal charges for allegedly attempting to extort KSh500,000 from Amos Hunja Mwangi, a media service provider associated with the Co-operative Bank of Kenya. State prosecutors state the offense occurred in Nairobi County between July 20 and July 27, 2025.

According to prosecution documents, Gitonga and an uncharged accomplice demanded the cash payment in connection with content posted on the creator’s TikTok platform, where he alleged that KSh1.6 billion had vanished from a bank account.

Investigators assert that Gitonga offered to delete the video and halt future posts concerning the financial institution in exchange for the KSh500,000. Detectives noted that Mwangi reported receiving threats that additional damaging material would surface if he refused to meet the demands.

Gitonga maintains his innocence and has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The court had previously granted him release on a KSh50,000 cash bail with a KSh100,000 bond alternative prior to his failure to appear.

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