Web Developer Rose Njeri Acquitted in Nairobi Over Viral Campaign Opposing Finance Bill 2025

A Nairobi court on Friday dismissed criminal charges against Web Developer and Activist Rose Njeri, citing insufficient legal grounds for prosecution. 

The charges, stemming from her digital campaign against the contentious Finance Bill 2025, have drawn widespread public and civil society attention. Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo of the Milimani Law Courts ruled that the two charges against Njeri, unauthorized interference with computer systems, were legally ambiguous and did  not constitute an offense. 

"The two counts as presently presented do not disclose an offense as they are ambiguous," he stated, leading to Njeri's immediate release and an order for the return of her confiscated electronic devices, including a mobile phone, computer CPU, flash disks, and a hard drive.

Njeri, a Nairobi-based web developer, was arrested on May 30, ahead of the Madaraka Day weekend, after publicizing a website that allowed citizens to reject the Finance Bill 2025 with a single click. Her social media post promoting the site, which read, "I wrote a simple programme that lets you reject the Finance Bill 2025 with just one click. Click below to send your objection," quickly went viral. 

Following her arrest, Njeri was detained for three days at Pangani Police Station. Njeri's defense team, comprised of prominent legal figures including former Chief Justice David Maraga, Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, and DAP-K's Eugene Wamalwa, argued that the charges were politically motivated and aimed at suppressing legitimate civic expression. They maintained that Njeri's digital platform was a constitutionally protected means for citizens to engage with public policy.

During Njeri's detention, tensions flared outside Pangani Police Station as civil society leaders and supporters gathered, demanding access to the detainee. Human rights campaigners Hanifa Adan and Boniface Mwangi were among those denied entry, with the station's gates reportedly shut to prevent further agitation.

Njeri was initially released on a personal bond of KSh100,000 during her court appearance on June 3, pending the June 20 hearing that ultimately resulted in her full discharge. 

While the prosecution argued that the seized devices were still under review by the cybercrime unit, the court sided with the defense's demand for the immediate return of all confiscated property.