Woman arrested over President Ruto flight tracking posts set free
A woman who was arrested over allegations that she was linked to an X account tracking President William Ruto's flight movements has been released
A woman who was arrested over allegations that she was linked to an X account tracking President William Ruto’s flight movements has been released after the court closed an application seeking to continue holding her.
The decision came after the detention period previously granted to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) expired, with the court declining to extend the matter following submissions from both the prosecution and the defence.
The DCI had moved to court seeking more time to detain Halima Ngache, arguing that detectives required additional time to complete investigations into the case.
The investigating officer asked the court to extend the detention period beyond the initial three days that had already been granted.
However, lawyers representing Ngache opposed the application, arguing that their client’s electronic devices had been confiscated without a valid court order.
They urged the court to mark the application as closed after the detention period lapsed.
The court agreed with the request and closed the application, effectively bringing the detention proceedings to an end.
The latest development follows a High Court ruling delivered on Friday, July 3, by Justice Alexander Muteti, who ordered that Ngache be released from police custody by 5 p.m.
The judge set aside earlier detention orders that had allowed investigators more time to investigate allegations linking her to the X account.
Ngache had been arrested by officers from the DCI’s Serious Crimes Unit following what the agency described as an intelligence-led operation.
In a statement, the agency said she was traced to her house in the Kazandani Area, Mombasa County, where she was arrested by police officers during the sting operation.
The DCI said The officers used intelligence to unmask her identity, despite her using a different user name on the social media platform.
“The suspect, Halima Ngache, also known as Princess Halima, was apprehended after investigations linked her to an X account allegedly used to publish sensitive information relating to the movements of protected persons, an act currently under investigation as a potential threat to national security,” the statement read in part.
Following her arrest, the DCI reminded members of the public to be careful even as they exercised their freedom of expression.
“The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) reminds members of the public that while the Constitution guarantees freedom of expression, this right must be exercised responsibly and within the confines of the law,” the statement added.
