Government drops charges against blogger Pauline Njoroge
By Hilary KimuyuThe state has dropped charges against popular blogger Pauline Njoroge.
The blogger broke the news on Monday, September 11, through X, saying that the cases against her at the Malindi Courts have been dropped.
“The Malindi Court has today closed my case after the prosecution once again failed to charge and asked for more time to gather evidence. My gadgets have also been released,” she posted.
Njoroge and two others were freed on bond by a Malindi court in July after they were arrested and were to be charged with hate speech.
According to a holding charge sheet, the State had intended to charge her with hate speech against the State after her arrest in Watamu.
Police had accused Ms Njoroge, Ms Jane Mwangi and Mr Emanza Jilani of being in possession of narcotics, a claim not contained in the charge sheet presented by police in court on July 24, 2023.
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But the prosecution led by Vivian Kambaga who appeared before Chief Magistrate James Mwaniki withdrew an application to have the three denied bond, a move that was welcomed by their eight lawyers.
The three were arrested after the car they were travelling in was intercepted by detectives along the Watamu- Jakaranda road.
They were allegedly found in possession of narcotics drugs upon search of the car and their hotel rooms.
According to the police, they found four rolls of dry plant material suspected to be narcotic drugs in the vehicle before they were taken to the houses where they were staying.
The police internal brief stated, “A further search was conducted at their residence at Mawe Zuri resort house number Tatu which Jane Mwangi occupied, and a clear container containing ten (10) tablets suspected to be narcotic substances was recovered. In house number Nine, occupied by Pauline Njoki Njoroge, a clear container containing 50 (fifty) tablets suspected to be narcotic substances was also recovered.”
Subsequently, all suspects were detained and booked on charges of being in possession of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances which were later changed to hate speech.
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