Woman arrested for publishing posts tracking President Ruto's flight movements

The suspect, identified as Halima Ngache, also known online as "Princess Halima," was arrested by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations' (DCI) Serious Crimes Unit following what the agency described as an intelligence-led operation in the Kazandani area.

Police say investigations linked her to an X account accused of publishing sensitive information relating to the movements of protected persons.

Ngache was arraigned before the Milimani Law Courts, where investigators obtained a three-day custodial order to allow them to complete their investigations.

According to DCI Director Amin Mohamed, she is under investigation for cyber harassment contrary to Section 27(1) of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act. The matter is scheduled for mention on July 6, 2026.

According to a miscellaneous application filed by Corporal Edwin Metto of the DCI's Serious Crimes Unit, investigators received intelligence on June 29 concerning a verified X account, @sholard_mancity, which had allegedly published flight information and route charts purportedly tracking the President's movements.

The investigator told the court that the motive behind the alleged tracking remained unknown and that the posts had raised concerns over the security of the Head of State and the public.

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.

The DCI told the court that Ngache was arrested on June 30 in Bamburi, Mombasa County, before being escorted to Nairobi and booked at Muthaiga Police Station.

Detectives said they recovered two mobile phones, a tablet, a laptop, flash drives and other electronic devices during the arrest. The devices are expected to undergo forensic examination as investigators seek evidence they believe is relevant to the case.

In court, Ngache maintained that although her electronic devices had been seized, the X account remained active, suggesting that another person could be operating it.

Senior Principal Magistrate Theresa Nyangena granted detectives permission to detain Ngache at Muthaiga Police Station for three days pending completion of investigations.

Following the arrest, the DCI reiterated that while the Constitution guarantees freedom of expression, the right must be exercised within the limits of the law. The agency urged members of the public to refrain from sharing information that could compromise the security of protected persons or incite public unrest.