Police make U-turn, drop drugs accusations against Pauline Njoroge

She is now accused of posting statements with the intention of hurting Ruto's reputation.

In Summary

• According to a charge sheet seen by the Star on Monday, Njoroge is accused of publishing false information on her official Twitter account on Friday and Saturday.

• On the first count of defamation, she is said to have published a piece of false information on the protests in Nyalenda, Kisumu.

Image: PAULINE NJOROGE/TWITTER

Police in Watamu intend to prefer charges of defamation and cyber harassment upon political commentator Pauline Njoroge.

According to a charge sheet seen by the Star on Monday, Njoroge is accused of publishing false information on her official Twitter account on Friday and Saturday.

On the first count of defamation, she is said to have published false information on the protests in Nyalenda, Kisumu.

"On 21st Day of July 2023 at an unknown place within the Republic of Kenya publish false information on your verified Twitter account @paulinenjoroge to wit "So police officers will now be using South Sudan's number plates when going to raid homes of innocent Kenyans?" knowingly to be false and circulated to cause panic and chaos among citizens of the Republic of Kenya," the second charge reads.

The blogger has also been charged with two counts of cyber harassment through her Twitter account on Friday.

She is accused of posting statements with the intention of discrediting the reputation of President William Ruto.

On Saturday, police said they arrested Njoroge after finding her in possession of tablets suspected to be narcotics.

In the report seen by the Star, police claimed they intercepted a vehicle used by Njoroge and two others.

They searched the car and discovered a substance believed to be drugs.

"At around 1630 hours, officers from DCI Kilifi county while tracing for one Pauline Njoroge, intercepted a motor vehicle along Watamu Jacaranda road and upon search from the vehicle, four rolls of dry plant material suspected to be narcotic drugs were recovered," the police report read in part.

She was with Jane Mwangi Nduta and Emanze Jilani, a Giriama male adult who was the driver.

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