Activist and software developer Rose Njeri has been charged with unauthorized interference with a computer system.
According to the charge sheet seen by Kahawa Tungu, Njeri is accused of developing a digital tool that automatically generated and sent emails to the official address of the Finance Committee in Parliament.
The charge, brought under Section 16 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act No. 5 of 2018, states that on May 19, 2025, Njeri knowingly hosted a website—https://civicemail.netlify.app—that interfered with the normal functioning of the committee’s email system.
The offence carries a maximum penalty of Sh10 million or up to five years in prison, or both.
Njeri was arrested on Friday afternoon in Nairobi’s South B estate and taken to Pangani Police Station, where she spent the Madaraka Day weekend in custody.
Her tool, dubbed Civic Email, was reportedly designed to make it easier for Kenyans to voice objections to the controversial Finance Bill 2025.
Police say they feared the platform could incite public protests ahead of the bill’s reading in Parliament.
The arrest has drawn widespread condemnation, with several leaders and civil society groups calling it an attack on civic freedoms.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua led the outcry, calling for Njeri’s immediate release. Speaking via social media on Monday, Gachagua accused the government of clamping down on youth innovation and peaceful civic participation.
“Rose Njeri, a young, brilliant software developer, is the latest victim of this repression. Her only ‘crime’ was building an online tool to help ordinary Kenyans voice their concerns,” Gachagua said.
He condemned the state for punishing ingenuity instead of embracing it, warning that silencing young voices was a dangerous path.
“This is not just an attack on Rose. It is a continuation of the attack on the youth of this country. It is an attempt to stifle their courage, their innovation, and their belief in the power of their voices,” he added.
Gachagua also criticized recent comments by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who proposed criminalizing so-called “fake abductions.” He said such statements aimed to discourage civic engagement and hide government excesses.
“If the state can dismiss abductions as hoaxes and then charge those who speak out, what justice is left for victims?” he posed.
Former Chief Justice David Maraga also condemned the arrest, saying it goes against the spirit of Madaraka Day—a celebration of self-rule and freedom.
“Madaraka Day is about internal self-governance and the freedom to run our country. These are the freedoms that the young people were seeking. They instead were killed, abducted and some have disappeared without a trace,” said Maraga.
He expressed solidarity with what he described as a “Gen-Z Revolution,” committing to walk with Kenya’s youth in their push for social and economic justice.
“Ms. Rose Njeri is the latest to be abducted for allegedly innovating an accessible system for citizens to express their views on the Finance Bill 2025. This completely negates the spirit of Madaraka,” Maraga said.
He added that the month of June marks a solemn period of remembrance for more than 60 young people who died in protests in June 2024, and for many others still missing.
“There is nothing for the young people of Kenya to celebrate. Youth unemployment is still soaring, livelihood opportunities keep shrinking, while a minority of the political elite live in opulence,” Maraga said.
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