The three bank chiefs were due to appear before Milimani Chief Magistrate Gethi Kibiru to answer criminal charges after the Director of Public Prosecutions approved their prosecution.

Instead, lawyers representing the executives told the magistrate that their clients had moved to the High Court on Friday August 7,2026 and obtained conservatory orders barring the lower court from proceeding with the criminal case.

The executives are NCBA Chief Executive Officer John Gachora, KCB Chief Executive Officer Paul Russo and Co-operative Bank Chief Executive Officer Gideon Muriuki.

The case also involves First Assurance Investment Ltd director Salim Mohammed Busaidy and the three banks.

The matter came up for mention on Tuesday  after the prosecution obtained summons requiring accused persons listed as numbers two to seven to appear before the magistrate for plea taking on over 114 criminal charges.

State counsel Willy Momanyi told the court that the summons had been served.

“The matter was coming up for mention. There were summons issued to No. 2 to 7 and I can confirm they were all served,” Momanyi said.

However, defence lawyers informed the court that the High Court had intervened and issued orders staying proceedings and restraining the arrest or prosecution of some of the accused persons.

For the Co-operative Bank and its CEO, lawyer holding brief for Gideon Muriuki and the bank, told the court that orders had been obtained from the High Court on Friday.

“On Friday we obtained conservatory orders from the High Court staying proceedings in this court and prohibition of arrest against the second and third accused person and a third order prohibiting this court from taking plea pending hearing and determination of this matter,” the lawyer said.

The defence further told the court that similar orders had been obtained in respect of other accused persons.

“For the third and fourth accused also obtained orders from the High Court restraining arrest, detention or continuation of any proceedings. They also obtained orders staying the operation of the summons,” the lawyer said.

The court was also told that orders had been issued concerning accused persons six and seven, staying further proceedings.

“For the 6 and 7 the High Court granted orders staying any further proceedings in this court or any other proceedings in this matter. All orders were served,” the defence said.

The defence consequently argued that the proceedings before the magistrate’s court had been stayed.

“In the circumstances these proceedings have been stayed,” the lawyer told the court.

But the prosecution said it had not received all the orders cited by the defence.

Momanyi told the court that the State had only been served with orders concerning KCB and its chief executive Paul Russo.

“We are yet to receive the orders the counsel has alluded to for the 2nd and 3rd and 6th and 7th but we received orders from Paul Russo and KCB Bank,” Momanyi said.

He asked the defence lawyers to serve the remaining orders so that the prosecution could verify their authenticity.

“We have asked the counsel to serve so that we can ascertain the authenticity of the orders which we have not been served,” he said.

The magistrate granted the prosecution more time to confirm service and authenticate the High Court orders before issuing further directions.

The matter will be mentioned on Wednesday August 12 to confirm whether all the orders have been served and verify their contents.

The High Court orders were issued by Justice Gregory Mutai in a petition filed by Co-operative Bank of Kenya Limited and Gideon Muriuki against the DPP, the Director of Criminal Investigations and other parties.

The orders, issued on August 7, certified the application urgent and admitted it for hearing during the court recess.

Justice Mutai issued an interim conservatory order restraining the DPP and DCI from arresting, presenting for plea taking, charging or prosecuting the applicants in Milimani Criminal Case E451 of 2026.

The judge also stayed further proceedings in the criminal case pending the hearing of the application.

The High Court directed that the petition and applications be served on the respondents and interested parties and scheduled the matter for October 12 for compliance and further directions.

The criminal case stems from investigations into alleged financial irregularities involving First Assurance Investment Ltd.

According to the charge sheet dated August 3, 2026, Busaidy, Gachora, Russo and Muriuki face various charges including conspiracy to defraud, stealing, making documents without authority, failure to report suspicion regarding proceeds of crime and acquisition of proceeds of crime.

The prosecution alleges that the offences were committed between May 18, 2018 and April 30, 2024 in Nairobi.

One count alleges that Busaidy and Gachora conspired to defraud First Assurance Investment Ltd of Sh171,579,664.

Another conspiracy charge involving Busaidy and Russo concerns Sh136,329,745, while an additional allegation involving Busaidy and Muriuki relates to Sh55,411,050.

Busaidy separately faces an allegation of stealing Sh363,320,459 from First Assurance Investment Company Ltd.

The prosecution alleges that the money came into his possession by virtue of his position as a director and access to the company’s accounts held at Co-operative Bank, NCBA and KCB.

Russo and KCB are also accused of stealing Sh136,329,745 allegedly from a First Assurance account domiciled at KCB.

The three bank CEOs and their respective institutions further face allegations of failing to report suspicious or unusual transactions involving First Assurance accounts.

The prosecution alleges that Russo and KCB failed to report unusual transactions involving one account, while similar allegations have been made against Gachora and NCBA concerning another account.

The DPP alleges that the failure to report suspicion regarding proceeds of crime contravened Section 5 as read with Section 44(2) of the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act.

At an earlier appearance, Momanyi told the court that the State had no objection to the accused persons being released on bail or bond but sought conditions including surrender of passports and restrictions on contact with witnesses.

The prosecution also sought summons requiring accused persons two to seven to appear before the court.

The criminal allegations have not been proved and the accused persons remain innocent unless and until convicted by a court of law.

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Justice Nzioki wa Makau issued the interim orders at the Kisumu Employment and Labour Relations Court after Joan Machuma Nyongesa moved to court questioning the legality of Mainga’s continued stay in office.

The case, ELRCPET/E037/2026, has placed Mainga’s tenure under judicial scrutiny, with Kenya Railways Corporation, its Board of Directors, the Public Service Commission, the Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport and the Attorney General named as respondents.

Justice Makau ordered that the application be served for an inter partes hearing on August 18, 2026.

The court further directed the respondents to file and serve their replies within three days of receiving the application.

In granting the interim relief, the judge stated: “That pending hearing inter partes, interim orders in terms of prayers 1, 2 and 3 are granted.”

Among the orders sought by Nyongesa was an order stopping Mainga, his agents, servants, appointees or anyone acting under his direction from occupying or exercising the powers of the Kenya Railways CEO.

The application seeks to restrain Mainga from occupying, holding himself out as, representing himself as, or exercising any of the powers, duties and functions of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the corporation.

The judge further ordered that the operation of any purported extension or renewal of Mainga’s tenure be suspended.

The order provides that “the operation and implementation of any decision, instrument, resolution, extension, renewal, reappointment or administrative arrangement purporting to authorise the 3rd Respondent’s continued occupation or exercise of the office after the apparent expiry of the last lawful term be suspended.”

The petitioner claims Mainga’s first substantive three-year term began on February 3, 2020, and ended on February 2, 2023.

She has questioned the legality of his continued occupation of the office following a reported renewal of his appointment in January 2023.

Nyongesa argues that the legality of the renewal and subsequent exercise of the CEO’s powers should be determined by the court.

She has raised concerns over the potential consequences of decisions made by the corporation while Mainga’s mandate remains disputed, pointing to Kenya Railways’ major infrastructure projects, contracts and management of public resources.

The petitioner has also argued that stopping Mainga from exercising the CEO’s powers would not cripple the corporation.

She says the Kenya Railways Board can appoint a qualified acting chief executive while the dispute is determined and, if necessary, undertake a fresh recruitment process.

The petitioner wants the court to determine whether Mainga has a lawful mandate to remain in office and exercise the powers of Managing Director and CEO.

She is also seeking directions on the lawful process of succession and recruitment should the court find that his tenure is not legally valid.

The respondents have not yet filed their responses to the application.

The matter will return before Justice Makau on August 18, when the parties will make their respective arguments.

The interim orders do not amount to a final finding that Mainga’s tenure is illegal.

The substantive question concerning the validity of his continued occupation of the office remains before the court.

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Turmeric has long been sold as a miracle: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, a natural painkiller in a jar.

But a growing pile of medical case reports is asking an uncomfortable question, could the same spice that soothes your joints be silently scarring your kidneys?

Doctors in the United States recently documented the case of a 69-year-old man who walked in for a routine check-up and walked out with a kidney failure diagnosis nobody saw coming. His urine looked unremarkable.

His history offered no obvious red flags, until his doctors traced the damage to something almost comically ordinary: <cite index=”3-1″>chronic use of turmeric supplements, compounded by long-term antibiotic use and diarrhoea.

The culprit was oxalate, a natural compound that, in excess, crystallises inside kidney tissue and triggers inflammation.

It is a rare case, but rare does not mean irrelevant.

It is a warning flare over an assumption millions of people make: that because turmeric is “natural,” it is automatically harmless in any quantity.

Turmeric, much like spinach, beetroot and nuts, contains soluble oxalates.

In the gut, these can bind with calcium to form calcium oxalate, the compound behind roughly <cite index=”9-1″>75 percent of all kidney stone cases</cite> worldwide.

Research into curcumin, turmeric’s active compound, has found that <cite index=”9-1″>high-dose supplementation measurably raises urinary oxalate excretion, with one trial recording a 20 percent spike after just one gram of curcumin taken daily</cite>.

That is a dose far higher than what lands on your plate at dinner.

Herein lies the twist that most viral health posts skip: dose is everything.

<cite index=”9-1″>Ordinary culinary turmeric, at roughly one to three grams a day, appears to carry minimal risk</cite> for most healthy people.

The danger climbs sharply with concentrated capsules and powders, the kind sold in wellness shops promising joint relief, weight loss or “detox.”

Here is where the story stops being a simple villain narrative.

Laboratory and animal studies paint a strikingly different picture of curcumin, one where it acts as a guardian of kidney tissue.

Researchers studying curcumin in stone-induced rats found it <cite index=”1-1″>reduced oxidative stress damage in kidneys affected by stone formation</cite>, and separate mouse studies found it <cite index=”2-1″>had protective effects against calcium oxalate deposits and related renal injury</cite>.

Case researchers reviewing the American patient’s condition noted the irony directly: <cite index=”3-1″>while turmeric’s oxalate content poses a kidney risk, curcumin itself may help kidney cells recover by calming inflammation, mopping up damaging free radicals, and protecting cell function</cite>.

In short: the same molecule can be protector and provocateur, depending entirely on how much of it, and in what form, enters the body.

But you should be discerning. The emerging medical consensus, cautious as it is, draws a clear line between turmeric as a spice and turmeric as a supplement.

Sprinkling it into your stew is not the same as swallowing concentrated capsules daily for months.

Anyone with a personal history of kidney stones, reduced kidney function, or a family predisposition to them should treat high-dose turmeric or curcumin supplements the way they would any other concentrated compound, with medical guidance, not blind trust in the “natural” label.

Scientists studying the field agree on one thing above all: human trials on long-term supplement use remain thin, and more rigorous research is needed before turmeric’s kidney story is fully written.

Until then, the golden spice keeps its place on the table, just, perhaps, not in your medicine cabinet without a doctor’s nod.

The post The Golden Spice, The Grey Area: Is Turmeric Quietly Hurting Your Kidneys? appeared first on Insider Bits News.

The church service marks the beginning of an action-packed Sunday programme that will see Sifuna and his allies make several public stops across the county as the movement intensifies grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 General Election.

According to the programme released by the movement, the team was expected to begin the day with the morning service at the ACK Cathedral in Mumias before proceeding to a series of political engagements and public rallies in different constituencies.

The itinerary places the Linda Mwananchi team in Mumias West, Matungu, Navakholo and Likuyani, where the leaders are expected to meet residents and address public gatherings later in the day.

The Sunday tour follows a busy first day on Saturday, when the Sifuna-led team traversed parts of Kakamega County, including Butere and Ikolomani constituencies, as the movement sought to expand its support base in Western Kenya.

Sifuna and the Linda Mwananchi brigade have in recent weeks stepped up nationwide tours, presenting the movement as a grassroots platform focused on citizen mobilisation and civic engagement ahead of the 2027 elections.

The movement has also attracted growing attention following the launch of a public fundraising drive, which organisers said raised more than Sh2.2 million within 36 hours, with the money earmarked for mobilisation, civic education and other activities.

On Saturday, Sifuna told supporters in Kakamega that he was encouraged by what he described as growing public awareness of the power held by ordinary Kenyans.

The Nairobi Senator said he was proud that Kenyans had realised that they were more powerful than the leaders they elect to represent them, as the Linda Mwananchi movement continued its push for greater citizen participation in governance.

Sunday’s church appearance comes as the political movement continues to draw attention over the growing calls by some of its supporters and leaders for Sifuna to consider a presidential bid in the 2027 General Election.

The movement’s latest tour of Kakamega is being closely watched as Sifuna and his allies seek to consolidate support in Western Kenya, a region expected to play a crucial role in the battle for votes ahead of the next General Election.

The Linda Mwananchi team is expected to continue its countywide engagements throughout Sunday, with political addresses and meetings with residents forming the core of the second day of the Kakamega tour.

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Biden’s prostate cancer has spread beyond his bones and is causing him severe pain, his son Hunter Biden has revealed, offering a stark update on the 83-year-old former president’s health even as he remains publicly engaged.

In an emotional interview with the BBC, Hunter Biden said watching his father battle the disease had been difficult for the family.

“The cancer has spread, metastasized into his bones and further,” Hunter said.

“It’s very painful and it’s very debilitating in many respects.”

The latest disclosure indicates that Biden’s health battle has become increasingly difficult more than a year after his office announced that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.

Biden’s personal office disclosed in May 2025 that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer characterised by a Gleason score of 9, or Grade Group 5, with the disease having already metastasised to his bones.

At the time, his office said the cancer was aggressive but appeared to be hormone-sensitive, raising the possibility that it could be effectively managed.

“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,” his office said at the time.

Biden and his family were also said to be reviewing treatment options with his doctors.

But Hunter’s latest remarks suggest the former president is now enduring significant physical pain as the cancer progresses.

“It’s really sad to watch,” Hunter said as he described the impact of the illness on his father.

Despite his condition, Biden has continued to speak out publicly on issues that matter to him, maintaining a public presence after leaving the White House in January 2025.

The health update comes as Biden remains one of the most closely watched figures in American politics, with questions about his health and age having dominated much of the final stretch of his presidency.

He was already the oldest person to serve as US president when concerns over his fitness intensified during the 2024 election campaign, eventually leading him to abandon his bid for a second term and endorse his then vice-president, Kamala Harris.

His cancer diagnosis was announced months after he left office, prompting an outpouring of support from political allies and opponents.

In his first public reaction after the diagnosis, Biden wrote: “Cancer touches us all.”

“Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support,” he added.

The former president’s latest health challenge has now brought renewed attention to the personal struggles of a political figure whose family has endured repeated tragedy and illness over decades.

Hunter Biden, in the wide-ranging BBC interview, spoke candidly about the emotional toll of seeing his father in pain while also addressing his own controversies and the presidential pardon he received from his father before Biden left office.

The former president’s battle with cancer has unfolded largely outside the intense daily scrutiny of the White House, but his son’s remarks have placed his health back in the global spotlight.

While no new medical statement detailing Biden’s current treatment or prognosis was immediately announced alongside Hunter’s interview, the revelation that the cancer has spread “further” underscores the seriousness of the former president’s condition.

For Biden, who has spent more than five decades in American public life, the battle is now unfolding as he continues to make his voice heard on public issues despite the pain and debilitating effects described by his son.

The White House years may be behind him, but Biden’s latest struggle has become deeply personal, a fight against an aggressive disease that, according to his son, continues to advance even as the former president refuses to completely retreat from public life.

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In a press release issued on Saturday, August 8, IEBC said the gazettement of the Election Campaign Financing Regulations, 2026 and the Contribution and Spending Limits marks a major step towards regulating how money is raised and spent during the next election.

“The gazettement marks a significant milestone in the discharge of the Commission’s constitutional mandate,” IEBC said, adding that the framework is aimed at regulating campaign financing and the amount of money that may be spent by or on behalf of candidates and political parties.

The electoral commission said the new framework follows a High Court decision in Constitutional Petition No. E540 of 2021, consolidated with E546 of 2021, involving Katiba Institute and other petitioners against the IEBC and others.

The case challenged, among other issues, Parliament’s revocation of provisions relating to campaign financing after contribution and spending limits were published on August 9, 2021.

According to the commission, the court directed IEBC to develop the required regulations, subject them to public participation and establish the framework for setting contribution and spending limits under the Election Campaign Financing Act, 2013.

IEBC said it subsequently carried out public participation through newspaper and electronic media notices, county-cluster forums and targeted engagements involving political parties, aspiring candidates, civil society groups, State actors, marginalised groups, development partners and other stakeholders.

The consultations were held under the theme: “Campaign Finance Regulation in Kenya: A Constitutional Framework for Transparency, Political Equality, Accountability and Electoral Integrity.”

“The views, proposals and recommendations received through the public participation and stakeholder engagement process were carefully considered and, where appropriate, incorporated into the final instruments,” the commission said.

With the instruments now published in the Kenya Gazette, IEBC said they constitute the applicable regulatory framework for campaign financing in the forthcoming General Election.

“The gazettement marks the transition from regulatory development and consultation to implementation and enforcement,” the commission said.

The regulations establish rules for the regulation and disclosure of campaign contributions and expenditure, record-keeping, reporting, auditing, monitoring, compliance and enforcement.

Meanwhile, the contribution and spending limits prescribe ceilings on the amount candidates and political parties can spend on campaigns.

IEBC has now put political parties, candidates, campaign teams and supporting persons or organisations on notice, requiring them to familiarise themselves with the new legal requirements and take measures to ensure compliance.

The commission said it will exercise its mandate through “monitoring, verification, audit, investigation and enforcement” in accordance with the Constitution, the Election Campaign Financing Act and the new regulations.

It said the regulation of campaign financing is intended to safeguard the integrity of electoral competition and promote a level playing field.

According to IEBC, the prescribed limits are designed to ensure that financial resources do not disproportionately determine political participation, access to voters or electoral competition.

“All political parties, candidates, campaign teams, donors and other regulated persons are required to comply with the regulations and limits, including requirements on contributions, expenditure, record-keeping, disclosure, reporting and accountability”the election body says.

IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon said the framework is now in place and warned that all regulated persons must take immediate steps to ensure full and timely compliance.

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Milimani Chief Magistrate Gethi Kibiru on August 6,2026 allowed Osewe’s release after finding that the prosecution had failed to establish compelling reasons to deny him bail as required under the Constitution.

Osewe is facing charges arising from two alleged fake gold transactions in which foreign investors are said to have lost more than Sh35.7 million and a further Sh26 million.

In the case he charged alongside o-accused Patroba Odhiambo Tobias alias Ishmael who have pleaded not guilty to several counts, including obtaining money by false pretences, acquisition of proceeds of crime and use of proceeds of crime under the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act.

According to the charge sheet, the two are accused of obtaining USD 260,400 (equivalent to Sh35,737,296) from complainant Bernard Shiaunda Aete between May 1 and May 9, 2023, by falsely claiming they were in a position to sell him 400 kilograms of gold bars.

Osewe also faces a separate count of allegedly obtaining Sh26.1 million from another complainant, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, by falsely representing that he could supply the same quantity of gold.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had opposed his release, arguing that the advocate was a flight risk after allegedly failing to attend court for nearly one year despite having been released on police cash bail.

However, while delivering the ruling on Thursday, Magistrate Kibiru found that court records showed Osewe’s absence had consistently been explained by his advocates, who informed the court that he had travelled to India for specialised medical treatment.

“The court record shows that on almost all occasions that the matter was before court, the first accused person was represented by an advocate who explained to the court the whereabouts of the first accused person,” Kibiru ruled.

The magistrate noted that the defence had presented medical records and travel documents to support the explanation and that the court had directed the prosecution to verify the documents.

“The first accused person availed medical and travel documents to court which this court directed the prosecution to verify. Despite the court ordering, now over three months since that order was issued, that an investigation report be filed by the investigating officer, that has never been done,” the magistrate said.

Kibiru further observed that although warrants of arrest had later been issued against Osewe, the explanations provided by his lawyers had never been disproved.

“What seems to have happened is that warrants of arrest were later issued without the court addressing the explanations given by counsel for the first accused person on the reasons for his absence,” the court ruled.

The magistrate held that although the medical and travel documents were yet to be verified, they constituted partial evidence supporting Osewe’s explanation that he had been outside the country for treatment.

“Having considered the court record and the fact that the first accused person’s absence was always explained to the court, the medical and travel documents availed by the first accused, though yet to be verified, are partial evidence of the first accused’s whereabouts,” Kibiru ruled.

He concluded that the prosecution had failed to discharge its burden of proving compelling reasons to justify denying Osewe bail.

“The court is consequently not persuaded that the prosecution has established compelling reasons sufficient to deny the first accused his constitutional right to bail,” the magistrate ruled.

The court ordered that Osewe be released upon executing a Sh1 million bond with one surety of a similar amount or, in the alternative, depositing a cash bail of Sh300,000.

As part of the bail terms, Osewe was directed to continue receiving medical treatment, attend all court hearings unless formally excused, and promptly notify the court through his advocates if illness prevents his attendance while providing supporting medical documents.

The magistrate warned that failure to attend court without lawful excuse could result in cancellation of the bond and the issuance of warrants of arrest.

The case will be mentioned after 14 days for  pre-trial hearing.

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Ally Ahmed Ally appeared before Milimani chief magistrate Gergi Kibiru, where he pleaded not guilty to one count of stealing by agent contrary to Section 283(b) of the Penal Code.

According to the charge sheet, the prosecution alleges that between November 16, 2023 and January 3, 2024, within Nairobi City County, Ally, while acting as an agent of Quba Real Estate Limited, stole Sh49,400,500 that had been entrusted to him for the purchase of Land Parcel Nairobi/Block/42/895, allegedly belonging to Julius Macharia Waweru and Eva Muthoni Waweru.

The prosecution told the court that the funds belonged to Quba Real Estate Limited and had been entrusted to the advocate solely for the completion of the land transaction.

The accused, who was arrested on August 3, 2026, denied the allegations when the charge was read to him.

In seeking his release, defence counsel urged the court to grant the advocate reasonable bail terms, arguing that he is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and would faithfully comply with any conditions imposed by the court.

The defence further submitted that there are ongoing civil proceedings relating to the dispute, urging the court to take that into account when determining bail.

After considering the submissions, Chief Magistrate Kibiru ordered that the accused be released on a bond of Sh10 million with an alternative cash bail of Sh2 million pending trial.

The court also directed that the matter be mentioned for pre-trial after 14 days.

The charges stem from investigations by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Nairobi Regional Office, who allege that the money was remitted to the advocate on different dates to facilitate the purchase of the Nairobi property.

Investigators claim that instead of completing the transaction as agreed, the accused allegedly diverted the funds, prompting investigations that culminated in his arrest and arraignment.

The advocate now awaits the commencement of pre-trial proceedings as the prosecution prepares to present its evidence in the case.

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The dramatic outburst forced Justice Alexander Muteti to briefly halt proceedings before restoring calm and directing Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Mohamed Amin to personally appear before him on Monday to explain the whereabouts of the three missing men.

The emotional scenes erupted moments after lawyers representing the Inspector General and the DCI informed the court that the two security chiefs had failed to honour summons requiring them to appear in person because they were attending an urgent security planning meeting.

State counsel Paul Nyamodi told the court that the Inspector General and the DCI Director were unavailable due to official engagements and requested the court to assign another date for their attendance.

“The Inspector General and the DCI Director are involved in an urgent security planning meeting. If the court still requires their attendance, we request another date and time when they can appear,” Nyamodi submitted.

He further told the court that senior police officers, including the OCSs of Buruburu and Ruai police stations, the Buruburu Sub-County Criminal Investigations Officer and the Nairobi Regional Police Commander, had attended the proceedings on behalf of the respondents.

Nyamodi maintained that the three missing men, Macmillan Kiarie Mugo, Evans Otieno Omondi and Michael Oloo Osoro, are not being held by either the National Police Service or the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

“It is our clients’ position that the three missing persons are not in police custody,” he said while seeking time to file responses to the habeas corpus applications.

The State also argued that the applications filed before the court did not meet the legal threshold for the orders sought.

Lawyers representing the families, led by Advocate Abner Mango, opposed the request, insisting that the country’s top police commanders had a constitutional duty to obey court orders and personally account for the fate of the missing men.

Mango argued that the Inspector General and the DCI Director head institutions with the capacity to determine the whereabouts of every Kenyan.

“The Inspector General and the DCI Director have the apparatus to know where every Kenyan is. If they say these three men are not in police custody, then they should tell this court who has them. Cases of enforced disappearances have become too many, and this is an opportunity for the security chiefs to shed light on the fate of the victims,” Mango submitted.

As Justice Muteti prepared to deliver his ruling, a woman believed to be the wife of one of the missing men stood up and broke into tears.

“Where is my husband? It is now 25 days since he disappeared. I have searched every police station in Nairobi and nobody can tell me where he is,” she cried.

Her emotional appeal sparked chants from relatives and activists who demanded justice, forcing court orderlies to intervene after one activist stripped naked in protest while others waved flags and shouted slogans inside the courtroom.

After order was restored, Justice Muteti urged the families to remain calm and allow the legal process to take its course.

“When you come to court, have faith that we are undertaking a process recognised by the law. Let us maintain decorum so that everyone leaves knowing they have been heard. When this matter comes up for hearing, both sides will be given an opportunity to present their case, and the court will render its decision,” the judge said.

He then directed Inspector General Kanja and DCI Director Amin to appear before him in person on Monday, July 20, at 1 p.m., warning that they must attend without fail.

The judge also gave the two security chiefs until Friday to file replying affidavits to the habeas corpus applications lodged by the families.

The applications were filed by Rose Sopi, the wife of Michael Oloo Osoro; Pamela Aloo, the wife of Evans Otieno Omondi; and Beatrice Wanjira, the mother of Macmillan Kiarie Mugo, together with Siasa Place.

They allege that the three men were abducted in separate incidents by armed men believed to be security officers before disappearing without trace.

According to court documents, Oloo was allegedly seized from a barbershop in Buruburu, Otieno disappeared after being picked up from a shop in Ruai, while Kiarie was allegedly bundled into a vehicle shortly after leaving his home in Githurai.

Through lawyers led by former Law Society of Kenya President Faith Odhiambo and Advocate Abner Mango, the families are asking the High Court to compel the State to produce the three men alive or dead or explain where they are being held.

The post ‘Where Is My Husband?’ Tears, Protest as Judge Summons IG Kanja, DCI Boss Over Three Missing Men appeared first on Insider Bits News.

In a ruling delivered on Friday, Justice Alexander Muteti directed that Ngache be released from police custody by 5 p.m., effectively overturning an earlier order by the Milimani Law Courts that had permitted detectives to hold her for three days to complete investigations.

The judge also directed that the matter be mentioned on Monday, when the High Court is expected to issue further directions on the constitutional issues raised in the case.

Ngache, popularly known online as Princess Halima, was arrested on June 30 during what the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) described as an intelligence-led operation in Kazandani, Bamburi, Mombasa County.

Detectives from the DCI’s Serious Crimes Unit allege she is linked to the verified X account @sholard_mancity, which allegedly published detailed information about President William Ruto’s international travel, including flight routes, destinations and aircraft details during recent official trips to Europe.

According to investigators, the account published posts claiming that President Ruto travelled aboard a chartered private jet from Belgium to Norway on June 8, later flew from Norway to Finland on June 10, and on June 25 allegedly departed Kenya with plans to board another private aircraft in Madagascar.

Court documents filed by Corporal Edwin Metto state that the motive behind the publication of the information remains unknown.

“…the motive of the alleged tracking remains unknown and the information published by the said user has caused apprehension on the person of the Head of State as well as Kenyan citizens,” the investigating officer stated in an affidavit filed before court.

The DCI maintains that the alleged posts may amount to offences under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, arguing that publication of the travel movements of protected persons raises significant national security concerns.

Following her arrest, detectives recovered two mobile phones, a Dell laptop, a Tecno tablet and three flash drives, which they sought to subject to forensic examination.

Investigators initially requested seven days to complete the analysis and obtain information from other agencies before forwarding the investigation file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).

However, Senior Principal Magistrate Theresa Nyangena declined the request and instead granted detectives three days, finding that the shorter period would be sufficient to complete the remaining investigations.

One of the central issues raised during the proceedings was that the X account under investigation allegedly remained active even after Ngache had been arrested and transported from Mombasa to Nairobi.

The DCI argued that the continued activity suggested more than one individual could have been operating the account.

Ngache, however, relied on the same fact to dispute investigators’ claims that she was solely responsible for the account.

She told the court that despite all her electronic devices being seized, fresh posts continued appearing on the platform while she remained in police custody, casting doubt on allegations that she was its administrator.

That argument has become one of the major points likely to feature prominently as the constitutional challenge proceeds.

Ngache has also questioned the manner of her arrest, arguing that she was apprehended without being informed of the reasons for her arrest and without a warrant before being transferred from Mombasa to Nairobi.

The case has attracted widespread public attention because it sits at the intersection of national security and constitutional freedoms.

While investigators argue that publishing real-time or detailed information concerning the movements of a sitting Head of State could expose protected persons to security risks, digital rights advocates have increasingly questioned whether authorities are stretching cybercrime laws to criminalise online speech.

The matter also comes only days after another significant High Court decision striking down provisions of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act, 2025, which had granted authorities broad powers to block websites without court orders.

That judgment reaffirmed constitutional protections on freedom of expression and access to information, further intensifying debate over the scope of digital regulation in Kenya.

Legal experts say the outcome of Ngache’s case could shape future investigations involving open-source intelligence, social media reporting and the publication of publicly available aviation data.

Globally, flight tracking has become increasingly accessible through publicly available aviation platforms, allowing users to monitor aircraft movements using transponder signals.

Governments, however, often distinguish between publicly available aviation data and the deliberate dissemination of information involving protected state officials where security considerations arise.

In Kenya, the DCI insists its investigation is not aimed at restricting legitimate freedom of expression but at determining whether any criminal offences were committed under existing cybercrime laws.

For now, Justice Muteti’s ruling means Ngache will regain her freedom while detectives continue their investigations.

Whether prosecutors ultimately approve criminal charges, and whether the courts draw a new constitutional line between digital expression and national security, will begin to emerge when the matter returns to the High Court on Monday.

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