Kenyan software developer Rose Njeri is facing possible cybercrime charges after being arrested for creating a web platform that allowed Kenyans to send feedback on the controversial 2025 Finance Bill.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the platform, hosted at https://civic-email.vercel.app, allegedly disrupted parliamentary systems by generating and sending mass emails to official government email addresses.
Authorities claim the application was specifically designed to flood the inbox of the Parliamentary Finance Committee.
Detectives said, “Njeri knowingly created a program hosted at https://civic-email.vercel.app/ that automatically generated and sent mass emails to Financecommiteena@parliament.go.ke which is the official system of the finance committee, thereby interfering with the normal functioning of the systems.”
They further alleged that her platform also interfered with other official government communication channels. “The platform created by Njeri directed mass emails to the official systems of the Clerk of the National Assembly, thereby interfering with normal functioning of the systems.”
The software developer was arrested last Friday and is currently being held at Pangani Police Station. Investigators are now pushing for cybercrime charges under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, a move that has stirred criticism from digital rights advocates who argue that the platform was a tool for civic engagement and public participation.
