President William Ruto’s daughter Charlene Ruto has entered into a consent to withdraw a criminal case filed against publisher and author Webster Ochora Elijah.
The move is aimed at ending a legal dispute that had sparked public debate over identity, publishing rights and digital law.
State prosecutor Esther Mutisya confirmed before Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Robinson Ondieki on Monday that defence lawyer Evans Ondieki had supplied her with a copy of the consent request to terminate the false publication case against Mr Ochora.
“I hereby confirm that the prosecution has received the request to withdraw the case against Mr Ochora. A copy of the consent has been filed with the court. I need time to seek further instructions on the matter,” Ms Mutisya told the court.
The magistrate noted that it is a constitutional requirement for parties to seek an amicable solution to disputes. In a brief ruling, he allowed the prosecutor more time to obtain instructions.
Mr Ochora is accused that on or before May 22, 2025, at an unknown location within Kenya, he jointly with another person not before court, operating under the name Zawadi Publishers, falsely represented himself as Charlene Ruto.
He was arrested earlier this year by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on allegations of identity theft under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act. His arrest followed the release of a book he authored, Beyond the Name: Charlene Ruto and the Youth, which reportedly featured Charlene’s name and image without her consent.
Mr Ochora was released on a bond of Sh100,000 or a cash bail of Sh50,000. In granting bail, the court noted that he was not a flight risk.
On July 23, 2025, she failed to appear in court, prompting Mr Ochora’s legal team to apply for his acquittal.
“Now that the complainant in this case, who is the President’s daughter, has failed to appear in court to testify, the only option left for this court is to discharge the accused for want of prosecution,” Mr Ondieki argued.
The matter will be mentioned in a fortnight for the Director of Public Prosecutions to inform the court of his position on the withdrawal and termination of the case against Mr Ochora.
