Rose Njeri was detained at Pangani Police Station after launching a website to help Kenyans oppose the Finance Bill 2025.
Tension is rising across the country following the arrest of Rose Njeri, a tech-savvy Kenyan who developed a simple online platform to help citizens reject the Finance Bill 2025. Her tool allowed users to send their objections to Parliament in one click. Days later, she was picked up by authorities and is currently locked up at Pangani Police Station, where police reportedly refused to release her on bail.
Njeri had posted the link on X (formerly Twitter), encouraging Kenyans to take action:
“Hi #KOT, I created a tool that lets you oppose the Finance Bill 2025 in one click. Let’s make our voices heard.”
Her arrest has triggered uproar online and offline, with many accusing the government of using intimidation tactics to silence voices critical of the bill.
Online Voices and Civil Rights Groups Rally for Njeri
The public backlash was swift. Civil society groups, lawyers, and hundreds of Kenyans on social media condemned the move, calling it a clear abuse of authority. Activist Mumbi Seraki pointed out that instead of silencing Njeri, the arrest had only drawn more attention to the very bill she was opposing.
“Arresting Rose for creating the #RejectFinanceBill2025 website won’t stop people. It just makes the bill even more suspicious,” Seraki noted.
Lawyer James Wanjeri also weighed in, stating that the Law Society of Kenya had taken up her case, terming the arrest “shameful.”
“We are on it. What happened is a national disgrace,” he stated.
Kongamano la Mapinduzi, a well-known advocacy group, added its voice to the chorus of condemnation.
“Arresting someone for tweeting and denying them bail is pure abuse of state power. We demand her release immediately,” the group posted.
Even ordinary Kenyans spoke out. A user identified as @_James041 defended Njeri, revealing she had previously created another site to log verbal abuse from public officials.
“She built insulttracker.netlifly.app to keep a record of insults thrown at us by those in power,” he wrote.
Controversial Finance Bill 2025 at the Centre of Tensions
Njeri’s arrest comes as the Finance Bill 2025 continues to receive widespread criticism. Some proposals in the bill, such as giving KRA access to citizens’ private data, have unsettled many. Despite earlier promises by the government to ease tax pressure following last year’s Gen Z protests, the new bill still contains clauses that many feel are invasive and unfair.
Currently under review by the National Assembly’s Finance Committee, the bill is expected to go through debate and possible amendments in Parliament before the final deadline.
At the time this report was published, police and other officials had yet to release any formal statement regarding Njeri’s arrest
