The High Court in Nairobi has ordered the release of a woman who was arrested over allegations that she operated an X account that published information tracking President William Ruto's flight movements.
Justice Alexander Muteti directed that the suspect, identified as Halima Ngache, also known online as "Princess Halima," be released from police custody by the close of business on Friday.
The case will be mentioned on Monday next week, when the court is expected to deliver a ruling on the matter. Justice Muteti ordered that Ngache should not remain in custody as the court considers the legal issues raised in the case.
Ngache was arrested on June 30 by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations' Serious Crimes Unit during what the agency described as an intelligence-led operation in the Kazandani area of Bamburi, Mombasa County.
According to the DCI, preliminary investigations linked her to an X account alleged to have published sensitive information relating to the movements of protected persons, including the President. She was subsequently arraigned before the Milimani Law Courts, where investigators obtained a three-day custodial order to facilitate the completion of their investigations.
Court documents state that the account published posts claiming the President travelled from Belgium to Norway aboard a chartered private jet on June 8, from Norway to Finland on June 10, and that another post on June 25 alleged he had left Kenya and was expected to board a private jet in Madagascar.
The affidavit filed by the DCI states that the motive of the alleged tracking remains unknown, and the information published by the user has caused apprehension on the person of the Head of State as well as Kenyan citizens.
During her court appearance, Ngache maintained that although her electronic devices had been seized, the X account remained active, suggesting that another person could be operating it.
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.
DCI officers recovered several electronic devices during the arrest, including two mobile phones, a tablet, a laptop, and flash drives, which detectives said would undergo forensic examination.
The investigating officer told the court that while Ngache was being transported from Mombasa to Nairobi following her arrest, the X account under investigation continued publishing content, raising suspicions that there could be other co-conspirators still at large.
Detectives have indicated that once investigations by serious crime detectives are complete, the file will be handed to the Director of Public Prosecutions for perusal and advice on the nature of charges to be preferred against the suspect over alleged cybercrimes.
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