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High Court Orders Immediate Release of Woman Arrested for Tracking President Ruto’s Jet
"The police took away her three mobile phones, a tablet, and a laptop without prior judicial authorisation, thereby violating Article 31 b and c of the Constitution," Mutiso said.
A woman arrested with allegations for tracking president Ruto’s air travel and posting online has been set free.
This follows the closure of the investigation against her by the police following High Court orders that she be freed forthwith.
Halima Ngoche, who was arrested on June 30, 2026, had challenged her arrest and detention through her lawyer, Ian Mutiso, at the High Court.
In her application, she attacked the custodial orders issued by Senior Principal Magistrate Teresiah Nyangena for failing to interrogate the constitutional and procedural deficiencies in the police application.
“This court takes judicial notice that the High Court has ceased this matter and has ordered the immediate release of the suspect. I am left with no option but to close the file and free the suspect,” the magistrate ruled.
In their application, the police sought to detain Halima for three days from July 1 to investigate her on the allegations under the Serious Crimes Act.
The police claimed that Halima was monitoring the flight of the president in a private jet and publishing it on her X account @sholard_mancity.
Police told the magistrate that the actions of Halima were posing a danger to the president’s safety.
However, Mutiso discounted those allegations and apprehensions by the police, saying the air travel of a president is not a secret and urged Justice Alexander Muteti to vacate the detention orders, saying they were illegal and in violation of Sections 362, 364, and 365 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
The judge was urged to exercise the superintendence and supervisory jurisdiction vested in the superior court over all subordinate courts and tribunals under Article 165(6) and 7 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010.
They claimed that the suspect was arrested without a warrant, and her electronic gadgets were seized irregularly.
“The police took away her three mobile phones, a tablet, and a laptop without prior judicial authorisation, thereby violating Article 31 b and c of the Constitution,” Mutiso said.
In a short ruling, Justice Muteti set aside the detention orders and ordered her immediate release.
