A woman arrested over allegations that she was linked to an X account tracking President William Ruto’s flight movements has been released after a court closed an application seeking to continue detaining her.
The decision followed the expiry of an earlier detention order granted to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), with the court declining to extend the matter after hearing submissions from both the prosecution and the defence.
The DCI had asked the court for additional time to hold Halima Ngache, saying detectives needed more time to complete investigations into the case. Investigators sought to extend her detention beyond the initial three days previously granted by the court.
However, Ngache’s lawyers opposed the request, arguing that investigators had confiscated her electronic devices without obtaining a valid court order. They urged the court to close the application after the detention period expired.
The court agreed with the defence and marked the application as closed, effectively ending the detention proceedings and clearing the way for Ngache’s release.
The latest development comes days after a High Court ruling on Friday, July 3, in which Justice Alexander Muteti ordered that Ngache be released from police custody by 5 p.m. The judge also set aside earlier detention orders that had allowed investigators more time to probe allegations linking her to the X account.
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Ngache was arrested by officers from the DCI’s Serious Crimes Unit following an intelligence-led operation, as described by the agency.
According to the DCI, detectives traced her to her home in the Kazandani area of Mombasa County, where she was arrested during the operation. The agency said officers were able to identify her despite her allegedly using a different username 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 the arrest, the DCI cautioned the public to exercise responsibility while exercising their constitutional right to 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.
