Web developer and activist Rose Njeri has vowed not to back down or be intimidated following her arrest in connection with the anti-Finance Bill 2025 campaign.
In a media interview for the first time after being released, Njeri said she committed no offence to warrant her detention.
She noted that the detention sought to intimidate her, given that the authorities had no case against her.
“That is when they were preparing their charge sheet. This means that for all those days that I was at the station, they had no charges against me. That was an illegal detention,” she said.
“You could see the errors that they made on the charge sheet. They wrote that I was male, and there were typos. They know that they have nothing on me. They are just infringing on my rights. I am just an ordinary Kenyan, trying to hustle, and they came for me that way. I cannot back down.”
Njeri was arrested in connection with the creation of a civic email and a website designed to enable Kenyans to express opposition to the proposed Finance Bill 2025.
According to the charge sheet, Njeri was accused of contravening section 16 of the Computer Misuse and Cyber Crime Act by interfering with computer systems.
“Rose Njeri Tunguru: On the 19th day of May,2025, at 2001 hrs at an unknown location within the Republic of Kenya, hosted knowingly made https://civicemail.netlify.app/ that automatically generated you and sent a mass program emails at to Financecommitteena@parliament.go.ke which is the official systems of the finance committee, thereby interfering with the normal functioning of the systems,” read the charge sheet in part.
Her lawyer, led by former Chief Justice David Maraga, Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka and DAP leader Eugene Wamalwa, opposed the charges, describing them as defective.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka questioned the basis of the charge, stating:
“If a crime is sensitising fellow Kenyans to say yes or no to the proposed finance bill, what crime is that?”
According to the defence, the very purpose of the email address was to invite citizen participation, and thus any member of the public could have sent such emails.
Kalonzo argued that the charges are open-ended and fail to meet the requirements of Articles 49 and 50 of the Constitution, as well as the procedural safeguards under the Criminal Procedure Code.
The defence contended that Parliament’s email address was established to encourage public feedback on the Finance Bill, and by participating, Njeri was engaging in constitutionally protected civic activity.
“We are taken aback at how to respond to a charge when the email address was created specifically to be used by members of the public,” Kalonzo noted.
However, the prosecution, led by Victor Owiti, insisted that the charges should stand pending further proceedings.
Owiti argued that the questions raised by the defence, such as whether Parliament intended the alleged acts to constitute an offence, are issues that should be addressed at trial, not at this preliminary stage.
He emphasised that the charge sheet had provided sufficient particulars as required under Section 134 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
“If you find that the prosecution in the charge sheet has given reasonable information, then you cannot reject the charges,” Owiti stated.
Milimani Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo released Njeri on a personal bond of Sh100,000 and set June 20, 2025, as the date for the ruling on whether Njeri will take a plea to the charges.
by JANEMOLLY ACHIENG
