Rose Njeri narrates four-day ordeal behind bars over Finance Bill website

With a calm smile and steady voice, Rose Njeri recounts how four days behind cold, bare walls changed the course of her life.

A mother of two and a software developer, Njeri never imagined that a simple act of creating a website to help Kenyans understand the Finance Bill 2025 would land her in police custody.

Her arrest on May 30 by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) was sudden and disorienting, plunging her into a harsh reality she had only seen on television or heard about from others: the grim experience of detention. She says it was an eye-opening ordeal.

“What I went through is something no one would wish upon another. Spending four nights in a cell was not easy—just a bare, cold floor with no mattress or blanket,” she told The Standard in an interview.

Detained at Pangani Police Station, she endured long, isolating nights in uncomfortable conditions, gaining a new appreciation for the hardships many prisoners face.

Her ordeal began while she was running errands in South B. Detectives approached her, then took her to DCI headquarters on Kiambu Road for interrogation. After hours of questioning, she was transferred first to a police station in Muthaiga, and then to Pangani, as there were no female detainees at the former.

Though her phone was confiscated, she managed to call her mother to inform her of the situation.

Njeri soon discovered her crime was building a digital platform named Civic Email, which encouraged Kenyans to share their views on the Finance Bill.

What began as an innocent civic tech project to simplify the government's budget process for ordinary citizens quickly attracted the scrutiny of authorities.

“I never imagined that creating a tool to help citizens understand the national budget could land me in custody,” she said.

The platform enabled users to draft and edit their feedback and send it directly to the government. Contrary to claims by investigators, it was not an automated spam tool but rather a user-driven platform where every submission included the sender’s name.

This crucial detail appeared to be overlooked. Authorities cited the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act in laying charges against her.

Despite the fear and discomfort of her detention, Njeri found strength in the support she received. Human rights defenders, lawyers, and ordinary citizens stood in solidarity with her.

“I never thought my action would take on a life of its own. I was surprised to learn that people had organised a protest outside Pangani Police Station. I got to meet big names. It gave me strength and showed that the public was paying attention,” she recalled.

That support proved vital, especially as Njeri battled anaemia and had to rely on her family for food, which she struggled to eat in the difficult conditions.

“My family made sure I had food, because if I don’t eat, my condition worsens,” she explained.

Looking back, Njeri believes her experience exposed the state’s fear of an informed and empowered public. She maintains that most Kenyans want dignity, not handouts.

“I want an environment where I can work and earn a living. But that environment is not being enabled. Greedy people in government are standing in the way,” she said.

Njeri insists she is not interested in politics. Instead, she hopes to be remembered as someone who stood up for human rights.

“I’d like to be remembered as a change-maker who helped prevent this country from falling further into the hands of a regime that disrespects human rights.”

With her release, she says she remains committed to building digital tools that challenge government abuse and warns fellow citizens against succumbing to fear.

“Things are getting worse. We must not allow abductions to become normalised. Because the moment we give in, they’ll come for the rest of us. I used to watch this kind of thing on television—until it happened to me.”