Court orders release of suspect arrested over President Ruto's flight movement posts

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.

Ngache was arrested on June 30 by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations' (DCI) 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 motive of the alleged tracking remains unknown and the information published by the said user has caused apprehension on the person of the Head of State as well as Kenyan citizens," the affidavit states.