Young author arrested over alleged identity theft in Charlene Ruto book
Young author arrested over alleged identity theft in Charlene Ruto book
A young author, Webster Ochora Elijah, has become the subject of an intense investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), following his arrest on allegations of identity theft under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act.
Authorities are linking him to the controversial publication Beyond the Name: Charlene Ruto and the Youth Uprising.
Ochora is currently being held at Muthaiga Police Station, as forensic experts comb through his laptop for digital evidence. He is expected to be arraigned in court on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.
According to investigators, the arrest stems from claims that Ochora used the identity of Charlene Ruto without consent.
However, his legal team insists the move is politically motivated and amounts to suppression of free speech.
Speaking outside Muthaiga Police Station, Senior Advocate Evans Ondeki defended Ochora’s actions, arguing that public figures should expect a degree of scrutiny.
“When you’re elected or associated with public office,” Ondeki said, “you surrender about 50% of your right to privacy. You cannot be so thick-skinned that the use of your name or image becomes an offense.”
Ochora’s family and legal counsel were at the station to offer support and protest what they describe as an unlawful detention. Kennedy Mung’are, a lawyer representing the family, painted a picture of a prolific writer who is being unfairly targeted.
“The young man detained here is a publisher, an author,” Mung’are noted.
“He’s written books on Donald Trump and Raila Odinga. He was working on a positive piece about Charlene Ruto. It’s unfortunate that, without due process, he’s being held like this.”
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DCI officers have intensified their focus on the book’s publication, seeking to identify those behind its financing and production.
The legal team, however, maintains that no criminal offense has occurred.
“Freedom of expression includes the right to use public images for commentary,” Ondeki emphasized. “In a democracy like Kenya’s, young people must be allowed to express themselves creatively. Arresting them for that undermines our democratic values.”
He added that creative expression should not be criminalized, especially when it challenges those in power.
“We urge the police to release Webster Ochora,” he said. “He has not committed an offense. And we also call on Charlene Ruto not to react so sensitively to criticism. As a public figure, she must learn to accommodate different views—that’s the essence of democracy.”
The exact nature of the content in Beyond the Name: Charlene Ruto and the Youth Uprising remains unclear, with investigators tight-lipped about ongoing findings.
However, Ochora’s arrest has already sparked widespread public debate over freedom of expression and the boundaries of cybercrime enforcement.
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