In a case that has ignited national outrage and renewed fears of shrinking digital freedoms across East Africa, Kenyan software developer and digital activist Rose Njeri has been charged under the country’s cybercrime law after creating a simple online tool that allowed citizens to voice opposition to the government’s proposed tax reforms.
Njeri, a respected figure in Kenya’s tech and civic engagement community, was arrested at her Nairobi home last Friday. Authorities accused her of “interfering with the normal functioning of government systems” through her web-based platform, which enabled users to automatically send objections to Parliament’s Finance Committee regarding the controversial Finance Bill 2025.
The 33-year-old developer announced her tool on social media on May 19, saying: “I wrote a simple program that lets you reject the Finance Bill 2025 with just one click. Click below to send your objection.” Within days, the post went viral — and so did the backlash from government officials. Police later seized her electronic devices and detained her for several days before she was arraigned and released on bail.
Public Fury and Calls for Justice
Njeri’s arrest triggered a wave of condemnation from activists, politicians, and citizens who viewed her detention as an assault on free expression and civic innovation. Over the weekend, protesters gathered outside the Nairobi police station where she was held, chanting for her release.
Prominent activist Boniface Mwangi described her arrest as a “dark moment” for Kenya’s democracy. “Imagine having to tell her children that she’s in jail for developing a website that made it easier for Kenyans to participate in the budget process,” he said.
Amnesty International Kenya’s executive director, Irũngũ Houghton, also denounced the arrest, saying it “grossly violated” Njeri’s rights and cast doubt on the fairness of any upcoming trial.
Observers note that the Finance Bill, which aims to expand the government’s tax base, could significantly raise living costs for millions of Kenyans already struggling with inflation. The proposed law has drawn parallels to last year’s Finance Bill 2024, which sparked weeks of protests that resulted in dozens of deaths, widespread injuries, and the disappearance of several activists.
A Pattern of Regional Repression
Njeri’s case is not an isolated one. Across East Africa, governments have increasingly turned to digital laws, police intimidation, and border crackdowns to silence dissenting voices.
In Tanzania, a series of alarming incidents has drawn international attention. Former Kenyan chief justice Willy Mutunga, along with activists Hanifa Adan and Hussein Khalid, were deported from Tanzania two weeks ago after traveling there to attend a treason hearing for opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
Two other attendees — Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan lawyer Agather Atuhaire — later alleged that Tanzanian security officers sexually assaulted them while in custody. The Police Reforms Working Group–Kenya, supported by the Law Society of Kenya, condemned the attacks and urged regional and international pressure on the Tanzanian government to hold the perpetrators accountable.
“These acts of torture and degrading treatment are not just moral outrages — they are violations of international law,” the coalition said in a statement.
Meanwhile, in Uganda, repression has intensified as well. Opposition leader Kizza Besigye remains imprisoned on treason charges, while lawmakers recently passed a law allowing civilians to be tried in military courts — a move widely condemned by human rights groups as unconstitutional and politically motivated.
Tech, Activism, and the Price of Dissent
Rose Njeri’s case highlights a growing tension in Africa’s rapidly expanding digital space: the struggle between innovation and state control. Kenya, often hailed as a hub of tech creativity and digital democracy, now finds itself at a crossroads where civic tech tools can be treated as criminal acts.
Experts warn that the misuse of cybercrime laws threatens to stifle innovation and civic participation in the very countries that once championed them. “This is not just about one woman and her website,” said a Nairobi-based digital rights advocate. “It’s about the future of online activism and whether East Africans can use technology to hold their governments accountable.”
For now, Rose Njeri remains out on bail, but her trial could set a precedent for how governments across the region treat digital dissent. As Kenya and its neighbours navigate a wave of public anger, one question looms large: Can the region’s democracies withstand the growing assault on freedom of expression in the digital age?