By Chinasaokwu Helen Okoro
Kenyans have voiced strong outrage over the arrest of software developer Rose Njeri, who created an online tool to help citizens oppose the government’s controversial finance bill, which many fear will further increase the cost of living.
Njeri was detained on Friday after police reportedly raided her home in Nairobi, confiscating electronic devices, according to activists. Authorities have yet to comment on her arrest. The software developer, who is also a mother of two, remains in custody.
Public anger over rising taxes is not new in Kenya. In 2023, mass protests erupted after the government proposed steep tax increases, prompting President William Ruto to withdraw that year’s finance bill. Despite that retreat, the 2025 finance bill again outlines plans to increase government revenue, stirring fresh concerns.
The 2023 protests were met with a violent crackdown by security forces, resulting in at least 50 deaths and dozens of abductions.
Faith Odhiambo, president of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), called Njeri’s detention a “recurrence of dictatorship” during an interview with BBC’s Newsday programme. On Sunday, a group of activists demonstrated outside the Nairobi police station where Njeri is being held, demanding her immediate release.
Odhiambo said Njeri appeared “crestfallen” when activists visited her in custody, especially as her detention would be extended by a public holiday on Monday, delaying her appearance in court. Efforts to secure her release on bail have so far failed.
“This is a familiar tactic by the government—using weekends and holidays to silence dissent while the courts are unavailable,” Odhiambo said.
Activist Boniface Mwangi, who also visited Njeri, said she was distressed over the police search of her home and the seizure of her phone, laptop, and hard drives. He added that she was particularly worried about her children.
“Imagine having to tell your kids that you’re in jail for building a website that simply helps Kenyans submit feedback on the 2025 budget,” Mwangi posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Njeri was reportedly detained after sharing a link to a website she developed, which highlighted potentially harmful clauses in the new finance bill. The site allowed users to email parliamentarians urging them to reject the bill. She also raised alarms over a proposed change to tax laws that would give the tax authority access to personal data without a court order—a move she warned could violate citizens’ privacy rights.
A key concern in the bill is the replacement of zero-rated tax status on essential goods with tax-exempt status. Economists warn this change could lead to higher consumer prices, as suppliers under the new system would no longer be able to reclaim input VAT, squeezing their profit margins or forcing price increases.
Finance Minister John Mbadi recently acknowledged that tax-exempt items may become “slightly more expensive,” but said the change is aimed at closing loopholes. He argued that many traders fail to pass zero-rating benefits to consumers and sometimes make fraudulent VAT refund claims.
Mbadi is expected to present the full 2025 tax and spending plan to parliament next week.
Meanwhile, President Ruto recently apologized to Kenyan youth for “any misstep” since taking office in 2022. He also claimed that all individuals who were abducted during last year’s protests have since been returned to their families.
