Whereabouts of Rose Njeri unknown as family raise concerns over her health

Human Rights Activists Chant outside Pangani Police Station after visiting Rose Njeri, who was detained after her arrested on friday for creating a website that allowed Kenyans to comment on the 2025 finance Bill. [Benard Orwongo, Standard] The whereabouts of activist Rose Njeri remain unknown after she was allegedly moved from Pangani Police cells to an unknown location. The development comes even as the family said her health is deteriorating. Njeri has been in police custody since last week when she was arrested for creating a digital platform where Kenyans can raise their objection to the Finance Bill 2025. For the third straight day on Monday, Njeri remained in custody at Pangani Police Station after she was denied bail. She was expected to be presented in court, only for family and lawyers to say she had been moved to another location without their knowledge. A young woman with a history of anaemia, some relatives who visited her on Monday painted a picture of a frail Njeri. They said they are worried her situation might worsen if she is not allowed to seek medication. Her aunt Eva Waithera said her niece had told her she was feeling weak, but she was able to smile despite the health concerns. "She's just weak, the problem is that her doctor said she should be on a special diet, which is unmanageable behind bars," Waithera told The Standard team outside the station. Together with Njeri's cousin, Derrick Kamotho, Waithera was allowed to serve their kin breakfast before engaging her in a brief chat. A software developer, Njeri, was picked from her South B house on Friday by police officers who took her to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters, Mazingira Complex, along Kiambu Road. She was briefly interrogated before being transferred to Pangani Police Station. The detectives never informed her of the reason for her arrest, but it was widely linked to the software she created to facilitate Kenyans to air their views on the Finance Bill 2025. Waithera and Kamotho said they have been informed that the mother of two, who is expected to be arraigned in court today (Tuesday), was being held for cyber misuse. Njeri's relatives and lawyers have been camping at the station trying in vain to secure her release. "We plead for her release because she's a single mother and the breadwinner for the family, including her two children and her parents," said Waithera. Some politicians and human rights activists have been mounting pressure on the government to release her, accusing President William Ruto's administration of trying to silence critical voices, with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua adding his voice. In a social media post, Gachagua expressed disappointment that, as the first anniversary of the Gen Z protests, it is painfully clear that Dr Ruto's government had learnt nothing about listening to the people. Last year's demonstrations against the Finance Bill 2024 drew thousands of young protesters across major towns, leading to dozens of arrests, deaths and enforced disappearances. "Rather than embracing dialogue and reforms, the government is escalating its crackdown on dissent, using fear and intimidation to silence those who speak out. Especially as the new Finance Bill approaches," said Gachagua. According to the former DP, Njeri should be celebrated for her innovation and contribution to civic engagement, but not be punished for her brilliant idea. "This is not just an attack on Rose. It is a continuation of the attack on the youth of this country. It is an attempt to stifle their courage, their innovative spirit, and their belief in the power of their own voices," he added. Gachagua called for the immediate release of Njeri and urged all Kenyans to stand together against the silencing of critical voices. On his part, former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi regretted that it was wrong to punish Njeri for exercising her constitutional right to freedom of expression and facilitating public participation through a digital platform. "Article 33 of the Constitution guarantees every person the right to freedom of expression, while Article 118 obligates Parliament to facilitate public participation and involvement in legislative processes. Ms. Njeri's initiative, developing a website to allow Kenyans to voice their views on the Finance Bill 2025, was a direct contribution to these constitutional principles," he said in a statement. According to Muturi, detaining Njeri for promoting public engagement is not only unlawful but also a dangerous precedent against civic innovation and constitutionalism. "We stand in solidarity with Ms. Njeri and call for her immediate release and for the protection of all Kenyans who use technology to promote transparency, accountability, and public participation," he stated. And in an interview yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot added a twist to the matter, claiming he did not understand why Njeri was incarcerated. "What I'm reading and what I hear you guys saying is that she had made a platform for doing this... That's in essence what public participation is about," Cheruiyot noted. Being President Ruto's loyal foot soldier, Cheruiyot admitted that Njeri's tool aligned with the intention of his motion on public participation, which was passed in the Senate after the Gen Z-led protests calling for greater inclusion in governance. The Kericho Senator revisited recommendations made following the protests, which, among others, urged Parliament to adopt more modern feedback channels. "Part of the recommendations that we made is that Parliament needs to come up with ways of receiving public feedback beyond the traditional means," said Cheruiyot.

Whereabouts of Rose Njeri unknown as family raise concerns over her health

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