NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 3 — Activist Rose Njeri has been released on a personal bond of Sh100,000 pending a court ruling on whether she will plead to criminal charges brought against her by the state.
Her defence team, led by senior counsel Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, former Chief Justice David Maraga, Law Society of Kenya President Eric Theuri, Kibe Mungai, Dr. John Khaminwa, Daniel Maanzo, and Ndegwa Njiru,opposed the move to have their client take a plea.
They argued that the charge sheet presented by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) does not disclose any offence recognized under Kenyan law.
Appearing before Magistrate Geoffrey Onsaringo on Monday, the defence submitted that the charges stem from Njeri’s spamming of the official email of the National Assembly’s Finance Committee.
According to the prosecution, the act constituted the offence of computer misuse and cybercrime.
However, the defence maintained that Njeri’s actions were intended to encourage public participation in the Finance Bill process, not to commit any crime.
“There is no offence committed in what our client did,” the lawyers argued, emphasizing that the communication was a lawful and civic-minded appeal to Parliament.
The court also heard that Njeri was unlawfully detained by police since May 19, 2025.
The defence accused law enforcement of abusing their powers by holding her beyond the constitutional 24-hour limit without formally charging her.
“Police should have released her on bond and directed her to report to a police station or appear in court,” the lawyers added.
However, Principal Prosecutor Victor Owiti defended the charge sheet, stating that the defence’s objections should be addressed during the trial, not at the preliminary stage.
Magistrate Onsaringo will deliver a ruling on the matter on June 20, 2025.
