Relief for Rose Njeri as court dismisses case, cites defective charge sheet

A Nairobi court has dismissed a case filed against web developer and activist Rose Njeri, citing a defective charge sheet.

In a ruling delivered by Milimani Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsaringo, the court held that the particulars presented by the prosecution failed to meet the legal threshold required to constitute a valid charge.

Njeri had been out on a Ksh.100,000 personal bond as she awaited the court's decision on whether she would stand trial for alleged unauthorised interference with a computer system.

She had been accused of violating Section 16 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, which criminalises unauthorised interference with computer systems. However, the magistrate ruled that the charge, as framed, could not proceed.

The web developer found herself at the centre of national attention last month following her arrest on allegations of cybercrime.

Authorities had claimed she was behind the development of a digital platform designed to collect public feedback on the 2025 Finance Bill—an app that purportedly disrupted parliamentary email systems.

She recounted being trailed by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and arrested during a graduation ceremony in Nairobi’s Industrial Area. She was then taken to her home, where detectives conducted a search and seized electronics and digital devices.

Her case has drawn sharp reactions from civil society groups, who argued that it reflected a growing crackdown on civic tech and online activism in Kenya.