Coder who turned civic frustration into global recognition

Coder who turned civic frustration into global recognition (Photo: Maxwell Agwanda/ Standard) When TIME magazine unveiled its 2025 TIME100 Next list, a global roll call of rising leaders and innovators shaping the future, Rose Njeri Tunguru, a 35-year-old Kenyan software developer and digital activist, found herself among its ranks. Her inclusion in the Advocates category, which honours individuals championing justice, equality, and citizen empowerment, was not just a personal victory. It was a milestone for civic technology in Africa, where acts of digital resistance often collide with state repression. "I'm incredibly honoured and excited to share that I've been named in the 2025 #TIME100NEXT list!" she posted on X. "This recognition is not just mine but belongs to everyone who has walked this journey with me, challenged me and inspired me to keep going." Her journey began quietly, in her modest apartment in Embakasi, Nairobi, between school runs and freelance coding gigs. After earning a Bachelor's degree in Commerce, she pivoted into tech, teaching herself web development through SheCodes, Harvard Online, and eventually training with Alt Africa. Njeri's activism was unplanned. "I never set out to be an activist. I was just a developer building my portfolio. But the government turned me into a civic tech activist," she told The Standard. In May 2025, as Kenya grappled with the controversial Finance Bill 2025, Njeri developed Civic Email-a simple platform that allowed Kenyans to email the Clerk of the National Assembly and the Parliamentary Finance Committee with their objections. "It was a digital megaphone for the voiceless," she said. Within hours, thousands had used it to send messages to lawmakers. What started as a tool for engagement spiralled into a nationwide wave of digital resistance. Her impact was felt and noticed. On Friday, May 31, plainclothes officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) stormed her South B home. "They told me, 'Wewe mama, tunajua mahali unaishi... house number 31. Fungua mlango haraka ama tukugonge,'" she recalled. Her laptops, phones, flash drives and hard drives were confiscated. "They never read me my rights," she said. "My children were left without care until my mother rushed from Nyeri to step in." She was detained at Pangani Police Station for 88 hours, a harrowing four nights away from her children. "At first, I was anxious because I did not know what crime I had committed. But then I realised this was bigger than me-it was about silencing ordinary citizens," she said. She was charged under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, a law activists say is increasingly used to target dissent. "They told me I had disrupted government systems. All I did was give citizens a way to speak," Njeri said. Her arrest ignited nationwide protests. Hashtags trended. Supporters camped outside the police station. Among those who rallied for her release were civil society groups, prominent lawyers-including former Chief Justice David Maraga, Senior Counsel Kalonzo Musyoka, and veteran lawyer John Khaminwa. "What Rose has done is promote civic awareness by leveraging technology to help citizens engage with the Finance Bill. Instead of being charged, she should be applauded," Maraga said. On June 3, she was brought before the court, but the case fell apart. On June 20, Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo dismissed the charges, calling them ambiguous and lacking any legal basis. The court ordered her devices returned within a week. They weren't. "They gave me back one flash disk, but not the one they had recorded when confiscating them. I still don't know what they were doing with my gadgets. I can't even use them now because forensic experts are checking if they are safe," she said. Even after her release, Njeri felt the pressure. "I limit my movements. I feel watched, surveilled. Sometimes a slowing car makes me freeze," she said. At one point, DCI officers tried to re-arrest her. She sought anticipatory bail through the Law Society of Kenya, shielding herself from further arbitrary detention. She also faced family pressure. "My father was getting calls from the area MP telling him to silence me, but he said he doesn't even know what computers are, only that he knew I didn't do anything wrong," she said. Despite everything, Njeri continued her work. She is now rebuilding Civic Email to make it more secure and accessible and is developing a new open-source public participation tool. "It will allow collection and analysis of citizen feedback, so authorities can't claim people did not participate," she said. Her global journey took a new turn when TIME magazine reporter Billy Perrigo called to inform her she was being considered for the TIME100 Next list. "I had to Google what it was," she admitted. "Then I realised this is the same list that has profiled presidents, artists and activists across the world. To be on it is honestly overwhelming." TIME praised her courage and innovation, describing her platform as one that "transformed civic frustration into organised action." Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs called the honorees "those still on the rise, whose influence arrives early but reshapes societies in lasting ways." CEO Jessica Sibley described them as "changemakers redefining progress, influence, and impact." Her recognition places her among global names like Rema, Becky G, Lamine Yamal, and Guyana's President Irfaan Ali, but Njeri's story stood out for its grassroots nature. She wasn't backed by institutions or celebrity clout. Her influence came from coding in silence and speaking truth to power. Amnesty International Kenya called her arrest "a chilling reminder of the state's growing hostility towards civic technology." Its executive director, Irungu Houghton, said her story "spotlights the growing risks faced by digital activists in Kenya and the resilience required to challenge censorship and repression." Njeri is now a symbol of a generation refusing to be silenced. "Authorities want to ignore us like we are not part of the process as citizens. But we shouldn't just sit back and watch," she said. To young developers, she offers this advice: "Do not wait for permission to speak. Do not wait for someone else to act. You have the power in your hands, in your voice, in your code to change the world." Her work is inspiring coders across Nairobi and beyond. At iHub, Brian Otieno, a 22-year-old student, said: "She's shown us that you don't need to be in Parliament to change Kenya. You just need a laptop and courage." Yet, for Njeri, the motivation is deeply personal. A mother of two, she says: "One night in that cell, I closed my eyes and saw my son's face. I imagined him asking me, 'Mama, why did they take you?' And my answer was simple: because I stood for something." She now dreams of transforming her tools into continental platforms, enabling citizens across Africa to engage directly with their governments. "Activism is not a crime. Dictatorship and incompetence are crimes," she said. As she put it best: "I wasn't born extraordinary. I just chose to be brave. I chose to act. And in doing so, I hope I've shown others that their voices matter too."

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