NAIROBI, Kenya — A software developer, Rose Njeri, is facing potential cybercrime charges following her arrest for the creation of a web platform designed to allow Kenyans to provide feedback on the contentious 2025 Finance Bill.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) alleges that Njeri’s web application compromised the parliamentary Finance committee’s system.
According to DCI reports, Njeri is accused of having “knowingly created a program hosted at https://civic-email.vercel.app/ that automatically generated and sent mass emails to Financecommiteena@parliament.go.ke which is the official system of the finance committee, thereby interfering with the normal functioning of the systems.”
Furthermore, authorities are accusing the software developer of interfering with the computer systems belonging to the National Assembly.
Detectives state that the platform developed by Njeri directed a high volume of emails towards the official systems of the Clerk of the National Assembly, “thereby interfering with normal functioning of the systems.”
Njeri’s arrest occurred last Friday, and she was subsequently held at the Pangani police station.
On Tuesday morning, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and various civil society organizations voiced their concern regarding the whereabouts of Rose Njeri.
Faith Odhiambo, the President of the LSK, reported that Njeri was moved from the Pangani police station shortly before 7:30 am.
Tuesday afternoon saw activists staging protests at the Milimani Law Court, demanding that Njeri be presented in court.
Human rights organization Amnesty Kenya also protested the transfer, asserting that it represented a continued infringement upon her rights.
“It is clear to us that Rose Njeri’s rights have been severally violated over the last 88 hours and any contemplated fair trial is already in jeopardy,” Amnesty Kenya declared.
Njeri was eventually presented in court later in the afternoon.