Webster Ochora Elijah in Milimani law courts on July 28,2025./RHODA BOGETAA Nairobi court on Monday failed to deliver a ruling in the case involving Webster Ochora Elijah, the man accused of impersonating Charlene Ruto and publishing a book in her name.
The delay came as defence lawyer Evans Ondieki informed the court that the two parties had reached a settlement.
Senior Principal Magistrate Robinson Ondieki said the ruling, initially scheduled for July 28, was not ready, citing gaps in the documentation.
“Some areas are not stated,” he noted, without going into further detail.
Ochora is facing charges under Section 382(1) of the Penal Code for allegedly impersonating Charlene Ruto and authoring a book titled Beyond the Name: Charlene Ruto and the Youth Uprising, published under the name Zawadi Publishers between an unknown date and May 22, 2025.
The defence told the court that Charlene and Ochora had since reconciled, and requested a three-week window to finalise the terms of the settlement.
The magistrate allowed the request and scheduled the next mention of the case for August 19, 2025.
Earlier, the hearing scheduled for July 22 was derailed after Charlene failed to appear in court. The prosecution had sought to defer the hearing and issue a summons compelling her attendance, but the defence opposed the move, stating that 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 dismiss the case under Article 129(1) of the Constitution, which outlines that executive authority must be exercised lawfully and in the public interest.
He added that Ochora had travelled long distances to attend court sessions and had shown good faith throughout the process.
In an earlier mention of the case, the defence highlighted Ochora’s cooperation with investigators, including surrendering the manuscript and signing an inventory before being detained for four days.
The prosecution did not oppose his release on bond and committed to providing all necessary evidence to the defence team.
Ochora was granted a cash bail of Sh50,000 with two contact persons by Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo.
Meanwhile, Charlene’s lawyer, Kevin Kachapin, had requested to attend the proceedings virtually due to a scheduling conflict in Kitale. The defence objected to the request.
