A man accused of impersonating Charlene Ruto by publishing a book under her name without consent was on Tuesday arraigned in court for the second time.
Webster Ochora Elijah faces charges of impersonation, contrary to Section 382(1) of the Penal Code. He is alleged to have falsely presented himself as Charlene Ruto and published a book titled “Beyond the Name: Charlene Ruto and the Youth Uprising.”
According to the charge sheet, between an unknown date and May 22, 2025, Ochora, either alone or with others, operated under the name “Zawadi Publishers” and with the intent to defraud, authored and distributed the book falsely attributing it to Charlene Ruto.
He was arrested without a warrant on May 30, 2025.
Charlene Ruto is listed as both the complainant and a key witness in the case, with Police Constable A. Hussein also lined up to testify.
The suspect was first arraigned earlier in June, where Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo granted him a cash bail of KSh50,000 with two contact persons. The prosecution did not oppose the bond request and confirmed all evidentiary material had been shared with the defense.
Ochora was arraigned again today, June 17, 2025. However, the court adjourned the ruling to July 22, 2025.
In his defense, Ochora’s counsel reiterated that his client has fully cooperated with investigators, noting that he surrendered a confidential manuscript, signed an inventory, and was detained for four days afterward. The lawyer further argued that Ochora, a student and creative, was merely exercising his constitutional right to freedom of speech.
“The complainant should consider being lenient with him,” the advocate added, appealing to the court for consideration.
By Were Kelly
