Written by Kelly Were
NAIROBI, — June 3, 2025
A 25-year-old man accused of impersonating President William Ruto’s daughter, Charlene Ruto, in a fraudulent book publication appeared before the Milimani Law Courts on Tuesday.
Webster Ochora Elijah, a Kisii native residing in Utawala, Nairobi, was formally charged with personation contrary to Section 382(1) of the Penal Code. According to the charge sheet, Ochora, operating under the alias Zawadi Publishers, allegedly authored and circulated a book titled “Beyond the Name Charlene Ruto and the Youth Uprising” while falsely claiming it was written by Charlene Ruto herself.
The offence is said to have occurred on or before May 22, 2025, at an undisclosed location within Kenya. Prosecutors state that the accused acted alone or with unknown accomplices with the intent to defraud by leveraging the Ruto family name for commercial or reputational gain.
Ochora was arrested without a warrant on May 30, 2025, and brought to court on June 3, where he was presented as being in custody.
Charlene Ruto is both the complainant and a key witness in the case, alongside Corporal A. Hussein, the investigating officer from the Serious Crimes Unit (SCU) at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Headquarters.
In court, Ochora’s lawyer defended his client’s actions as a misguided creative endeavor rather than malicious intent.
“He surrendered a confidential manuscript, signed an inventory, and just two hours later, was unlawfully detained and held for four days,” the lawyer told the court.
“He is a student and a creator. We urge the court to consider a free bond.”
The prosecution, while confirming that all relevant evidence would be shared with the defense, did not oppose the bond application.
Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo granted Ochora a cash bail of Ksh50,000 with two contact persons, allowing his release ahead of the next hearing.
The case is set for mention on June 17, 2025, for further directions as investigations continue into the motive and reach of the publication.
