Rose Njeri, a Kenyan software developer, has been allegedly arrested over an 'anti-finance bill website' and is currently detained at a city police station.
Her arrest followed a tweet on May 19, where she announced the creation of a website designed to facilitate public objections to the proposed Finance Bill 2025.
"I wrote a simple program that lets you reject the Finance Bill 2025 with just one click. Click below to send your objection," her tweet stated.
On Saturday, May 31, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) president, Faith Odhiambo, said that the LSK team had visited Pangani Police Station and managed to see Njeri after a long process.
According to Faith, all attempts to have her released on bail failed. She, however, called on the public to stay calm and alert as they continue working to have Njeri released.
"As things stand, we are still on the matter and hope to have Njeri released and back home with her family. We ask all members of the public to remain vigilant but calm, and we will provide timely and detailed updates as soon as we make positive progress towards securing her release," she stated.
Ian Mutiso, an Advocate of the High Court, also confirmed the incident, stating that he received a call at around 9 pm on Friday, about the arrest of Njeri.
He stated that Njeri was apprehended at around 2 pm along Enterprise Road, Nairobi, where she was undertaking a tech training. He was informed that Njeri was forcibly taken away from the scene and bundled into one of the DCI's Subarus.
The report added that the officers led her to her house, where they executed a search and confiscated gadgets without providing a search warrant.
Mutiso said that Njeri was barred from calling her family and lawyers, but fortunately, she got a chance to communicate with a pharmacist near her residence.
“The said officers frustrated her from making calls to her family and lawyers. She was, by sheer luck, able to communicate discreetly with her pharmacist near her residence and her mother later on. After a few house was given a tour of the busy streets of Nairobi,” he added.
According to the report by Mutiso, Njeri was interrogated on the Finance Bill 2025 Memoranda Submission links and forced to write a statement. She was denied rights to legal counsel.
Following Njeri's arrest, Kenyans have taken to social media to demand her immediate release.
