Court orders release of woman held over posts on Ruto’s air travel details
The High Court has ordered the unconditional release of a woman arrested for allegedly spying on President William Ruto’s air travel and posting the details on social media.
Halima Ngache was arrested at her home in Mombasa and brought to Nairobi, where the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) sought to detain her for seven days pending conclusion of a probe into the matter.
The court, however, granted police three days to conclude their investigations.
Ms Ngache then moved to the High Court, alleging that she was never given reasons for her arrest and that police did not have a warrant.
The court ordered that she be released forthwith and directed her to appear before the judge on Monday, July 6, for further directions.
The trial magistrate was informed that once investigations by serious crime detectives are complete, the file will be handed to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Renson Ingonga, for perusal and advice on the nature of charges to be preferred against the suspect over alleged cybercrimes.
DCI officers will continue investigating the alleged cyber harassment and computer misuse.
Arguing for an order to keep Ms Ngache in custody, investigators told the court they believe there are other co-conspirators still at large who have continued to post the president’s travel itinerary.
During their interaction with the suspect, detectives said they need more time to complete forensic analysis of the electronic devices recovered from her.
Sharing Ruto’s movements
“Ms Ngache is under investigation for alleged cyber harassment contrary to the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, following posts published on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, which investigators say revealed details of the President’s travel itinerary and the registration number of the aircraft he was using during an official trip to Europe,” the trial magistrate heard.
In an affidavit filed before the court, Corporal Edwin Metto of the DCI’s Serious Crimes Unit stated that the investigation was triggered after an X account allegedly shared updates tracking the Head of State’s movements.
The investigator further disclosed that one post allegedly revealed President Ruto had departed Belgium for Norway aboard a chartered private jet, while another later identified the aircraft by its registration number.
“The publications raise concerns over the safety and security of the Head of State and have heightened public apprehension. The motive behind the publications is still under investigation,” Corporal Metto states in the affidavit filed in support of the detention request.
The investigating officer further told the court that Ngache was arrested in Mombasa and found in possession of several electronic devices believed relevant to the inquiry.
Among the items seized were two mobile phones, a Tecno tablet, a Dell laptop and three flash drives, which detectives said would undergo forensic examination to establish their connection to the disputed posts.
“The recovered electronic devices may contain further information relating to the alleged offences and assist investigators in identifying other persons who may have participated in the commission of the offences,” the officer states.
The detective also told the court that while Ngache was being transported from Mombasa to Nairobi following her arrest, the X account under investigation continued publishing content.
According to the DCI, this suggested the account could have been operated by more than one person, necessitating further investigations before a decision on criminal charges is made.
The agency had initially sought seven days to complete investigations, arguing that forensic analysis and requests for information from other agencies were still pending before the file could be forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for review.
The court, however, declined the request for seven days’ detention, instead ordering DCI officers to hold the suspect for three days only, saying a shorter period would be sufficient.
Ms Ngache will be produced in court for further directions on July 6, 2026.
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