Police have apprehended an author, Webster Ochora Elijah, for allegedly publishing a book about President William Ruto's daughter, Charlene Ruto.
The detectives, who arrested the author on Monday, June 2, claimed that Ochora allegedly authored and published a book about Charlene titled, Beyond the Name: Charlene Ruto and the Youth Uprising, without her consent.
After his arrest, Ochora, who is currently being held at Muthaiga Police Station, was charged with identity theft under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act.
Detectives have also seized his laptop, and he is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday, June 3, as part of the ongoing evidence-gathering process.
The officers have further kick-started more investigations to establish other individuals who funded and facilitated the authorship and publication of the book.
Responding to the arrest, Kennedy Mong’are, the family lawyer, claimed that Ochora is a renowned author and publisher who has authored books on notable figures such as former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and United States President Donald Trump, and that the arrest was uncalled for.
According to Mong'are, the book meant no harm and aimed to project the positive works and accomplishments that the president's daughter has done over the years.
"The young man detained here is a publisher and an author who has authored so many books, including those involving Donald Trump, Raila Odinga, and was in the process of working on a positive work for Charlene Ruto, and it is unfortunate that without due process, he is detained here," Mong'are said.
On the other hand, senior advocate Evans Ondieki, who branded Ochora's arrest as unlawful, claimed that it was politically motivated and aimed at suppressing his freedom of expression.
Ondieki claimed that once in power, high-ranking government officials should be considerate and accept all sorts of criticism, to reinforce and reflect the country's democratic fitness.
“Freedom of expression includes the right to use public images for commentary. In a democracy like Kenya’s, young people must be allowed to express themselves creatively. Arresting them for that undermines our democratic values,” Ondieki said.
"We urge our public officers, particularly the presidency, to be fair and accommodate all sorts of criticism because that is the essence of democracy," he added.
