Cherargei threatens legal action over his X account

Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has revealed why he's no longer active on X, formerly Twitter.

Cherargei, who was urging the Senate to probe the management of social media platforms, disclosed that his access to the account has been blocked.

He warned of legal repercussions against the company for "infringing on my ability to serve Kenyans and engaging in malicious actions that violate my freedom."

“I believe X Corporation’s, formerly Twitter, actions warrant an investigation by the Kenyan Government and this Parliament and require diplomatic engagement with the American government,” Cherargei stated forcefully on the floor of the House.

A look at his official account with 329,000 followers indicates his last post on November 16, 2023, at 7:44 PM.

His post, extending condolences to the family and friends of the late Apostle Dr. Joe Kayo, garnered 23,900 views.

Cherargei lamented that despite numerous attempts to regain access to the account through emails and a formal demand letter, the company remained unresponsive.

"This silence amounts to the stifling of an important channel,” he stated.

According to X's rules, users can face bans for repeated violations of policies or specific actions posing significant risks to X.

Cherargei denounced his inability to access his account as "malicious actions that violate my freedom of speech and establish a dangerous precedent."

He demanded a comprehensive report from ICT CS Eliud Owalo on government measures and recourse for Kenyans facing similar issues.

Furthermore, he urged the CS to formally contact X Corporation, outlining the violation of Kenyan law and expressing strong condemnation of their actions and discriminatory implications.

The lawmaker also called for diplomatic engagement with the American government to stress the importance of multinational tech companies operating "ethically and responsibly."

“If a sitting senator can face this, it raises concerns about the treatment of Kenyan and African citizens in similar circumstances. We cannot allow multinational corporations to act with impunity,” he asserted.

Cherargei has already sent a letter to X Corporation through lawyer Ian Mbotela, threatening legal action.

In the letter dated February 8, 2024, addressed to X Corp CEO Linda Yaccaniro and Head of Legal Julian Moore, Cherargei demands immediate restoration of his access rights.

“Take notice, the undersigned herein is under strict instructions to use our partners to file a civil claim in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California and seek for an award of damages,” the letter states.

The letter details a coordinated social engineering attack on November 19, 2023, around 11 AM, which forcefully logged out Cherargei from the platform, rendering "@scherargei" inaccessible to him.