Kenyans are expressing profound outrage following the detention of a software developer who created a crucial tool designed to help citizens oppose the government’s controversial annual Finance Bill. This opposition stems from widespread fears that the proposed legislation will significantly raise the cost of living for ordinary citizens.
Rose Njeri, the developer in question, was reportedly detained on Friday after police raided her home in the capital city, Nairobi, and confiscated her electronic devices, according to activist groups. Neither the police nor the Kenyan government has yet commented officially on the detention of the mother of two.
Activists Clamour for Release of Rose Njeri
The detention of Rose Njeri has ignited fresh protests and strong condemnation from civil society. Faith Odhiambo, President of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), told the BBC Newsday radio programme that Njeri’s arrest represents a “recurrence of dictatorship,” drawing parallels to past periods of suppression.
On Sunday, a coalition of activists gathered outside a police station in Nairobi, where the software developer is being held, vehemently demanding her immediate release.
Ms. Odhiambo further revealed that Ms. Njeri, whom activists were able to visit in prison, was “crestfallen” as she had not yet been brought to court due to Monday being a public holiday, effectively prolonging her detention.
Efforts to secure her release on bail have so far proven unsuccessful. “This has always been a government way of oppressing, intimidating and suppressing citizens because they know the courts don’t sit over the weekend – and now we have a public holiday,” Ms. Odhiambo explained, criticizing the procedural delays.
Boniface Mwangi, a prominent activist who visited Ms. Njeri in custody, shared her account that police had thoroughly ransacked her house and seized her phone, laptop, and hard drives. Mwangi conveyed Ms. Njeri’s deep concern for her two young children, questioning the justification for her incarceration “for developing a website that eases public participation for Kenyans who want to submit their proposals on the 2025 budget.”
Finance Bill’s Content and Government’s Stance on Tax Reform
Rose Njeri’s detention occurred after she shared a link to a website that meticulously flagged specific clauses within the Finance Bill that she argued would lead to an escalating cost of living. The platform also provided a direct mechanism for citizens to email parliament, urging the withdrawal of the contentious bill.
A significant point of concern raised by Njeri involves a proposal to amend tax procedures, which would permit the tax authority to access personal data without a court order, potentially undermining crucial privacy rights.
The new Finance Bill proposes to replace the zero-rated tax provision on essential commodities with a tax-exempt status. This distinction is critical for consumers: while zero-rated goods are taxed at 0% and suppliers can claim input VAT on materials, tax-exempt goods are also not subject to VAT, but suppliers cannot claim back input VAT.
Economists and activists warn this subtle change will likely lead to higher prices for consumers or reduced profit margins for businesses. Finance Minister John Mbadi recently acknowledged that tax-exempt goods “may be slightly more expensive,” but defended the move as necessary to close tax loopholes.
He contended that the government determined traders were not passing the zero-rating benefit to consumers and some were making “fictitious and fake” claims for refunds. Minister Mbadi is scheduled to present the government’s comprehensive spending and tax proposals in parliament next week.
This backdrop includes last year’s mass protests against previous tax hikes, which forced President William Ruto to withdraw the 2024 finance bill after at least 50 people were killed and dozens abducted in a security force crackdown. President Ruto recently apologized to Kenyan youth for “any misstep” in dealing with them since taking office in 2022 and stated that all individuals abducted after last year’s protests had been “returned to their families.”
