The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has been granted three additional days to detain a woman accused of posting information online about President William Ruto's flight movements as detectives continue investigations into alleged cyber harassment.
At the Milimani Law Courts, detectives persuaded the court that more time was needed to complete forensic analysis of electronic devices recovered from the suspect, Halima Ngache, and to establish whether other individuals were involved in the alleged online activity.
Ngache is under investigation for alleged cyber harassment contrary to the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act following posts published on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, that investigators say revealed details of the President's travel itinerary and the registration number of the aircraft he was using during an official trip to Europe.
In an affidavit filed before the court, Corporal Edwin Metto of the DCI's Serious Crimes Unit stated that the investigations were triggered after an X account allegedly shared updates tracking the Head of State's movements.
According to the investigator, one of the posts allegedly indicated that President Ruto had departed Belgium for Norway aboard a chartered private jet, while another later identified the aircraft by its registration number.
"The publications raised concerns over the safety and security of the Head of State and heightened public apprehension. The motive behind the publications is still under investigation," Corporal Metto told the court through his affidavit.
The investigating officer further informed the court that Ngache was arrested in Mombasa and found with several electronic devices believed to be relevant to the inquiry.
Among the items seized were two mobile phones, a Tecno tablet, a Dell laptop and three flash drives, which detectives said would undergo forensic examination to establish their connection to the disputed social media posts.
"The recovered electronic devices may contain further information relating to the alleged offences and assist investigators in identifying other persons who may have participated in the commission of the offences," the affidavit states.
Detectives also told the court that while Ngache was being transported from Mombasa to Nairobi following her arrest, the X account under investigation allegedly continued publishing content.
According to the DCI, this suggested that the account could have been operated by more than one person, necessitating further investigations before a decision on criminal charges is made.
The agency had initially sought seven days to complete investigations, arguing that forensic analysis and requests for information from other agencies were still pending before the case file could be forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for review.
However, the court declined the request for a week-long detention and instead allowed investigators to continue holding the suspect for three days, finding that the shorter period would be sufficient.
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