Kenyan local media has reported that a man has been ordered to pay a fine of 850,000 shillings ($5,600/£4,400) after revealing a friend’s alleged HIV status in a WhatsApp group.

The ruling came from the HIV and Aids Tribunal in Kenya, who said that a person’s HIV status should not be disclosed to third parties without consent.

The complainant said that as a result of the message in the WhatsApp group, which had 170 members, he faced discrimination and is now undergoing counselling because of the psychological toll it had taken.

He added that the accusation had caused a rift in his marriage and denied the disclosure given in the WhatsApp group.

He has also been awarded 3,000 KE shillings in special damages.