When Justice Mumbi Ngugi ruled that it was unconstitutional to gag bloggers, this was seen as a major milestone in the protection of freedom of expression as enshrined in the constitution.
And in a country where gossip spreads faster than wildfires, this freedom is continually being exploited mostly selfishly and rarely in a way to benefit the entire community when it comes to politics and political affiliation.
But, is this freedom limitless?
When rumours started doing the rounds that Deputy President William Ruto had collapsed in his home on Wednesday night, the activity on social media was without a doubt ‘fireworks’.
This is after controversial blogger Robert Alai claimed on his social media platforms that Ruto was rushed to hospital on the evening of Wednesday, May 18.
Alai said that he ‘knew beyond any reasonable doubt’ that Ruto was rushed to Nairobi Hospital after collapsing at his Karen home and that he was transported in an ambulance after becoming motionless following the collapse.
However on Thursday, Ruto was seen at Wilson Airport heading to Mandera where he and the president are on a three-day tour of the region.
Tuko reported that the DP had not been taken to hospital as claimed earlier and that the rumours doing rounds on social media even amused him.
So was Ruto in hospital or not?
Regardless of the answer to this question, the sheer monstrosity of social media freedoms that are not self-regulated can lead people to believe that anything goes. Unpunished. And this is wrong.
Ruto has been laughing off rumours joking he helps sell papers and grow revenues for publications. But will he laugh endlessly or will a monster be created from all these barbs aimed at his person at some point?
Regardless of whichever political side one is on, it does not hurt being courteous and respecting people’s privacy. None of us is immune to sickness or emotions but when we run out of rocks to throw, won’t we have dug our own graves?