By Were Kelly
A Nairobi court on Monday failed to deliver its much-anticipated ruling in the case of Webster Ochora Elijah, the man accused of impersonating Charlene Ruto and authoring a book in her name, after the defence revealed that the parties had reached a settlement agreement.
Appearing before Senior Principal Magistrate Robinson Ondieki, defence counsel Evans Ondieki informed the court that Charlene and Ochora had reconciled and were in the process of finalising a deal.
“The parties have agreed to settle,” he said, requesting a three-week window to complete the terms of the agreement.
Magistrate Ondieki granted the request, pushing the next mention of the case to August 19, while noting that the ruling, initially slated for July 28, could not be delivered due to gaps in documentation.
“Some areas are not stated,” he remarked, without elaborating further.
Ochora is charged under Section 382(1) of the Penal Code, accused of falsely presenting himself as Charlene Rutoand publishing a book titled Beyond the Name: Charlene Ruto and the Youth Uprising, allegedly printed under Zawadi Publishers between an unknown date and May 22, 2025.
Earlier, the case hit a snag after Charlene failed to appear in court for the scheduled July 22 hearing, prompting the prosecution to seek a deferment and a summons to compel her attendance. However, the defence opposed the move, arguing she was out of the country and unlikely to testify soon.
“It is not fair for people to complain and then fail to appear in court to honour their complaint,” said lawyer Ondieki, urging the court to consider dismissing the case under Article 129(1) of the Constitution, which mandates that executive authority be exercised in the public interest and in accordance with the law.
He also emphasized Ochora’s cooperation with investigators, including voluntarily surrendering the manuscriptand signing an inventory before being held for four days.
The prosecution, while not opposing his release, had earlier committed to sharing the full evidence with the defence.
Ochora is currently out on Sh50,000 cash bail with two contact persons, as previously ordered by Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo.
In a side note during proceedings, Charlene’s lawyer, Kevin Kachapin, sought to attend virtually due to a schedule clash in Kitale, but the defence objected, insisting on physical presence.
The case now hinges on the success of the proposed out-of-court resolution, which could see the criminal charges withdrawn before trial.
