Rose Njeri, a technology expert and freedom of expression advocate, was arrested on May 30, 2025, for creating a website that allowed citizens to send messages opposing the 2025 draft budget bill. Her arrest sparked fierce debate in Kenya and across East Africa, where human rights defenders denounced the move as a crackdown on freedom of expression.
According to The Guardian (June 3, 2025), Njeri appeared before the Milimani court in Nairobi. She is accused of violating Section 16 of Kenya’s Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act. Prosecutors claim that her platform enabled mass emailing to the parliamentary budget committee, allegedly disrupting government systems. Njeri was released on bail of Ksh100,000 pending trial on June 20, 2025.
Amnesty International – Kenya stated that Njeri’s rights had been violated and expressed concern about the fairness of her upcoming trial. The organization’s director, Irũngũ Houghton, stressed that expressing opinions should not be criminalized, and creating a civic engagement platform is a positive democratic act.
Njeri’s arrest highlights increasing pressure on freedom of expression in East Africa. Recently in Tanzania, human rights activists from Kenya and Uganda were detained, with some reporting gender-based violence. In Uganda, opposition leader Kizza Besigye has spent six months in jail on government-related charges, and the country’s parliament recently approved trying civilians in military courts.
Analysts say Njeri’s case will be a critical test for the future of freedom of speech in Kenya and the region. They call on East African governments to uphold human rights and freedom of expression instead of suppressing them.
