Activist and software developer Rose Njeri has been freed after the court found that the two criminal charges filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) were illegal and did not disclose any offence.
While delivering his ruling on Friday, June 20, Milimani principal magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo found that the charge sheet against Njeri was defective.
In addition, the presiding magistrate ruled that the charge sheet was ambiguous, which informed the court’s decision not to admit it.
The court further added that every Kenyan citizen is entitled to public participation, seemingly referring to the creation of a website by Njeri where Kenyans could provide their input on the 2025 Finance Bill.
Njeri had been arraigned and charged with the unauthorised interference with computer systems, contrary to Section 16 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act No. 5 of 2018.
The latest comes after the court had initially released Njeri on a Ksh100,000 personal bond on Tuesday, June 3 and set a hearing date for her case on June 20.
At the time, her arraignment in court had come after she had been detained at the Pangani Police Station for three days.
Njeri had been arrested on Friday, May 30, over a tweet revealing the creation of the website. "I wrote a simple programme that lets you reject the Finance Bill 2025 with just one click. Click below to send your objection," her tweet stated.
Her arrest and subsequent detention over the long Madaraka Day weekend sparked massive uproar and outrage with Kenyans calling for her unconditional release.
The situation later got tense with chaos breaking outside Pangani Police Station, with activists such as Hanifa Adan and Boniface Mwangi complaining over being denied access to Njeri. Their actions even prompted the gate to be locked to completely bar them from entry.
Despite the drama witnessed, Njeri was later arraigned at the Milimani Law Court with a battalion of distinguished legal practitioners led by former Chief Justice David Maraga making up her defense.
Other notable figures included former Vice President and Senior Counsel Kalonzo Musyoka, Senior Counsel John Khaminwa, Senior Counsel Eugene Wamalwa, Dan Maanzo, former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Eric Theuri, Ndegwa Njiru, alongside representatives from the LSK.
Their united front highlighted the gravity of the case and pointed to the complex legal issues at stake. Outside the courthouse, dozens of Kenyans gathered, singing songs and demanding the immediate release of Njeri.
