From abduction to police cells and global stage, why Rose Njeri's lifestyle has changed

In May this year, the name Rose Njeri Tunguru became the subject of a national conversation.

Social media lit up with hashtags demanding her release after she was detained for nearly four days by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

Her crime, according to investigators, was creating an online tool that allowed Kenyans to email the Clerk of the National Assembly and the Parliamentary Finance Committee to express their views on the Finance Bill 2025.

The arrest of the 35-year-old software developer later freed by the court in June, after charges against her were dismissed for lacking any legal basis, sparked outrage and drew condemnation from rights groups.

They described the move as part of a worrying trend of criminalising digital civic engagement.

Less than five months after her ordeal, Njeri has been named among the TIME100 Next 2025, a global recognition of rising leaders and innovators shaping the future.

For a woman who still recalls the cold of the police cells and the anxiety of court summons, the recognition feels dreamlike.

“They made me who I am today. 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,” Njeri told The Standard.

READ: Software developer Rose Njeri named TIME100 Next rising star

Njeri recounted how her arrest unfolded on the Friday of May 31, just as Kenyans were preparing for the Madaraka Day weekend.

“I was picked up from South B and taken to Pangani Police Station. They never read me my rights. They just took my devices, computers, hard drives, phones, flash disks. My children were left without care until my mother rushed from Nyeri to step in,” said Njeri.

Njeri was detained for 88 hours, an experience she described as transformational but terrifying.

On June 3, she was presented in court, but lawyers argued the charges did not meet the threshold to take a plea.

On June 20, Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo dismissed the case entirely noting that the two counts presented were ambiguous and could not stand.

The court ordered that her devices be returned within a week. Instead, it took several weeks later and a contempt application before the DCI finally released them.

Even then, she claimed, not all items were returned.

“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.

Njeri said that she has since been forced to change her lifestyle.

“I limit my movements. I feel watched, surveilled. Sometimes a slowing car makes me freeze, wondering if I am being followed,” she stated.

At one point, she claimed, DCI officers attempted to re-arrest her. She sought anticipatory bail through the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), effectively shielding herself from arbitrary detention.

ALSO READ: Rose Njeri: My harrowing four days locked up in police cells

Weeks after enduring the intimidation, Njeri received a call from Time magazine reporter Billy Perrigo informing her she was being considered for the TIME100 Next list.

“I had to Google what it was. 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,” said Njeri.

The announcement came on September 30, officially confirming her place among 2025 most influential emerging leaders.

Previous Africans listed include President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia, nominated Kenyan Senator Crystal Asige, and President Duma Boko of Botswana.

“This is not about me. It is about us as Kenyans. It is for everyone who protested, everyone who was harassed, everyone who lost loved ones. I just happened to be the one they picked on,” she said.

Amnesty International Kenya Executive Director Irungu Houghton, on congratulating her, noted that her innovative platform demonstrates the power of technology in advancing civic participation and defending human rights.

“Her unjust arrest, prosecution, and subsequent complete judicial exoneration spotlight the growing risks faced by digital activists in Kenya and the resilience required to challenge censorship and repression,” noted Houghton.

While many expected her to retreat quietly after the ordeal, Njeri has leaned into her new identity. She now proudly introduces herself as a civic tech activist.

“I didn’t choose this title; the government gave it to me. They made me,” said Njeri.

But activism has come at a personal cost. Njeri, a mother of two, admitted that her family was shaken but lifted by public support.

“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.

Rose said that her online tool was not about rebellion but about public participation, which is a constitutional right.

“It was a simple platform where citizens submitted feedback on the Finance Bill directly to Parliament. This was not hacking, not stealing information. It was helping government do its job better,” said Njeri.

ALSO READ: Activist Rose Njeri free after court dismisses charges against her

Njeri said that she is not the only Kenyan developer blending technology with civic action.

“Others are building websites that track parliamentary debates, monitor environmental issues, or create civic education portals. I just happened to catch their eye,” she said.

Still, she told The Standard that she is already working on her next project, a public participation tool designed to be open-source and adaptable across counties, civil society, and government agencies.

“It will allow collection and analysis of citizen feedback, so authorities can’t claim people did not participate,” she said.

Does she regret the path that has brought her here? Njeri shook her head.

“I am at a point of acceptance. It had to happen. Others were accused of terrorism for simply protesting. That could easily have been me,” said Njeri.

Njeri added: “The government has been instilling fear and weaponising laws. They arrested me under cybercrimes, others under terrorism. We have even heard of shoot-to-kill and shoot the legs orders against protesters.”