High Court orders release of Halima Ngache in William Ruto flight tracking case
via Tuko4 min read
The High Court has ordered the immediate release of Halima Ngache, who was under investigation for allegedly operating an X account that tracked and published President William Ruto's flight movements. Ngache successfully challenged her detention, arguing that police arrested her without a warrant and did not inform her of the reasons for her arrest before transferring her from Mombasa to Nairobi. Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations DCI are investigating alleged cyber harassment and computer misuse. They claimed the X account disclosed details of Ruto's travel itinerary and aircraft registration numbers, raising security concerns. The DCI had initially sought to detain Ngache for seven days to conduct forensic analysis of electronic devices and gather evidence, but a lower court granted only three days. Ngache denies being solely responsible for the account's activity, noting that new posts appeared even after her arrest, suggesting other administrators. The High Court has directed Ngache to appear before the judge on Monday, July 6, for further directions as investigations into the alleged cyber offenses continue. This ruling follows a recent High Court decision nullifying sections of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Amendment Act, 2025, which allowed website blocking without court orders.
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Nation Media Group journalist Simon Ciuri has obtained a temporary injunction against Ejidio Kinyanjui Gitau and Victor Muusya Cosmus, directors of Willstone Homes Limited, preventing them from making further alleged defamatory statements. High Court Justice Nixon Sifuna ruled that Ciuri established a prima facie case, highlighting the severe impact of reputational harm in the digital age, especially concerning professional reputation. The suit stems from statements made on social media platforms, including YouTube, following Ciuri's August 2024 Nation newspaper article about the company. The court, however, declined to order the removal of the disputed content from social media, noting that mandatory injunctions are granted only in exceptional circumstances. Justice Sifuna observed that an alleged statement accusing the journalist of accepting a KSh 500,000 bribe to tarnish the company's reputation "would ex facie appear defamatory" and could lower his standing. The judge emphasized that at this interlocutory stage, the court was not determining actual defamation but whether the threshold for temporary protection was met, which Ciuri satisfied. The court awarded Ciuri the costs of the application.
Meru governor Isaac Mutuma M鈥橢thingia has announced plans to manufacture organic hair from banana stems, alleging that imported synthetic hair may cause cancer and skin diseases. Speaking at the Ushirika Day celebrations, Mutuma stated that his government has acquired equipment for the project, aiming to reduce reliance on imported synthetic products and create economic opportunities for banana farmers. The initiative seeks to transform banana waste into biodegradable hair products that can be used as manure after disposal, addressing environmental pollution caused by non-biodegradable synthetic hair. The governor indicated that processing plants would be established at Kaguru Farmers Training Centre, Maua Polytechnic, and Thangatha to ensure accessibility for farmers across Meru. Mutuma also used the occasion to seek political support for his re-election in 2027 and urged residents to support the Kenya Kwanza administration and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union KMPDU has welcomed a series of commitments from the Kenyan government regarding doctors' salaries, employment, internships, medical cover, and the implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement CBA. These promises were made during a high-level meeting chaired by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale. Key agreements include the immediate activation of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Database IPPD code to facilitate basic salary adjustments under the CBA, and the inclusion of 2024/2025 basic salary arrears in the September supplementary budget for payment by December. The government also pledged to resolve salary arrears for Ministry of Health doctors dating back to 2017, with a progress report due by August 2. The deadline for Social Health Authority SHA contributions will be extended from the 9th to the 25th of each month to prevent disruptions to medical cover. Negotiations for the 2025-2029 Ministry of Health CBA are set to begin soon, with the ministry presenting its counter-proposal next week. Additionally, the government reaffirmed its commitment to recruit 2,000 doctors and will release a report on their employment status next week. Other commitments include appointing a Chief Executive Officer at Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital within three weeks, which will lead to the absorption of seven pending pharmacists. Medical Services Principal Secretary Ouma Oluga will intervene to resol