Court frees woman arrested over X posts tracking Ruto's flights

Halima Ngache when she appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Teresia Nyangena on July 6, 2026. [Nancy Gitonga, Standard]

A Nairobi court has freed Mombasa resident Halima Ngache, who was arrested over allegations of operating an X account that tracked and published President William Ruto's flight movements.  

This is after Senior Principal Magistrate Teresia Nyangena rejected a second bid by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for more time to complete investigations and conduct further forensic examination of her electronic devices.

In a brief ruling delivered on Monday, the magistrate marked the miscellaneous application filed by the DCI and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) as closed and ordered that Ngache be released forthwith.

The ruling comes days after High Court Judge Alexander Muteti on Friday ordered that Ngache be released from custody by 5 pm, the same day, while separately considering her application challenging the legality of her arrest, detention and the seizure of her electronic devices.

This is after Nyangena on Thursday last week granted DCl detectives three days to continue detaining her to complete investigations. 

When the parties appeared before Magistrate Nyangena on Monday for an update on the progress of investigations, the investigating officer, Corporal Edwin Metto, informed the court that forensic examination of the electronic devices recovered from Ngache was still ongoing.

"On the second of July, 2026, we sought court orders... seeking orders to allow us to conduct forensic examination on electronic devices which were recovered from the respondent. The orders were granted the same day, and forensic examination has started. It should be completed before the end of this week. A report on that examination will inform the next course of these investigations, Your Honor, and for that reason, we are seeking for more time to allow us to complete investigations," Metto submitted.

He further told the court that Ngache was released on Friday following a court order in the High Court, which instructed the police that she be released.

However, Ngache's lawyers led by Ndegwa Njiru, Ian Mutiso and Senator Dan Maanzo strongly opposed the application, arguing that the investigators were seeking to rely on electronic devices that had been unlawfully obtained.

Lawyer Njiru argued that the court could not extend investigations based on gadgets whose seizure was already under legal challenge.

"The gadgets that you are just about to extend the orders for investigations were unlawfully procured. They deliberately refuse to give you the inventory... they want to conceal the manner in which these gadgets were confiscated," the lawyer submitted.

The defence further argued that the electronic devices had been seized without a search warrant, contrary to the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code, and urged the court not to sanction any further investigations based on the contested evidence.

Lawyer Maanzo representing Ngache also questioned the manner in which she was arrested and transported from Mombasa to Nairobi, telling the court that she had been searched and escorted by male officers contrary to police standing orders governing the arrest of female suspects.

After hearing both sides, Magistrate Nyangena observed that there was no substantive application before her seeking an extension of the miscellaneous proceedings.

She subsequently marked the miscellaneous application as closed and ordered Ngache's immediate release.

Ngache was arrested by detectives from the DCI Serious Crimes Unit over allegations that she operated the X account @sholard_mancity, which investigators claim published President Ruto's flight routes and travel information.

 During the operation, detectives seized mobile phones, a laptop, a tablet and other electronic devices for forensic examination.

Meanwhile, High Court judge Muteti is expected to deliver its ruling on Thursday on Ngache's application challenging the legality of her arrest, detention, search and seizure of her electronic devices, as well as the custodial orders issued by the magistrate's court.