Blogger who leaked exclusive DCI photos of Walter Menya

Pauline Njoroge, who says she works for the Government of Kenya, poses for the camera with President Kenyatta in this photo on her Facebook page. PHOTO | PAULINE NJOROGE | FACEBOOK

From her profile on Facebook, Pauline Njoroge tends to hang out with the Jubilee crowd and has in the past two weeks been travelling with the Mbele Iko Sawa group headed by Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria.

In one of the dominant photographs on her Facebook page, she is standing next to President Uhuru Kenyatta.

DINNER

The accompanying caption does not state where the picture was taken. It was, however, posted on June 24, 2016.

Pauline Njoroge (right), a government 'employee', with Devolution Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri. PHOTO | PAULINE NJOROGE | FACEBOOK

She also appears to have attended the dinner at Safari Park Hotel where supporters of the President were reported to have raised Sh1 billion for his campaign as she took a selfie with him.

Last Sunday, at 12.38 pm, Ms Njoroge broke the story of the “arrest” of senior Sunday Nation writer Walter Menya, who is still in police custody.

Pauline Njoroge, a government 'employee', with Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed (centre). PHOTO | PAULINE NJOROGE | FACEBOOK

What caught the attention of many, and which seemed odd, was that Ms Njoroge had access to not only the information on Mr Menya’s arrest, but photographs taken at what appeared to be the headquarters of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

Pauline Njoroge, who claims to work for the government, during the launch of the Madaraka Express passenger train. PHOTO | PAULINE NJOROGE | FACEBOOK

Ms Njoroge is not a police officer, at least judging by what is on her Facebook page.

In her profile, she says she works for the Government of Kenya and is a former communication manager at The National Alliance party.

She says she is the founder and former director at the Eagles Leadership Foundation and a former programme assistant at the Martin Luther King Junior Africa Foundation.

Pauline Njoroge at a Jubilee Party function in Nairobi. PHOTO | PAULINE NJOROGE | FACEBOOK

With the maximum 5,000 friends Facebook allows and 62,251 followers, she certainly has a lot of people interested in her.

She does not disappoint them, keeping them informed about the Jubilee campaigns, with photos over the past week from Tharaka-Nithi, Chogoria, Kahawa West and Machakos with the Mbele Iko Sawa team.

Pauline Njoroge with Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung'wa (right, Jubilee), Dennis Itumbi (left) and others. PHOTO | PAULINE NJOROGE | FACEBOOK

On Monday evening, State House Director of Digital Communication Dennis Itumbi questioned the manner in which the “arrest” was carried out and the involvement of Ms Njoroge.

“My only question on the arrest of Journalist Walter Menya, is why was it necessary to leak photos of the arrest to bloggers? Why? It makes it look like a staged action. Many people are arrested and arraigned in court—their pictures from CID HQ in handcuffs do not go public...” he said.

Pauline Njoroge at a Jubilee Party function in Nairobi. PHOTO | PAULINE NJOROGE | FACEBOOK

“That alone trivialises the arrest and the accusation,” he added.

Mr Itumbi said that while the case would be decided on facts and evidence, “the perception is that it was a scripted narrative that must be pointed out.”

Pauline Njoroge on the UhuRuto campaign trail. PHOTO | PAULINE NJOROGE | FACEBOOK

Mr Menya is supposed to be released by 5pm today after Senior Principal Magistrate Martha Mutuku on Monday allowed a police request to hold him for one more day to allow investigators to gather more evidence.