NAIROBI, Kenya Jun 2 – Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has condemned the Kenya Kwanza administration’s suppression of dissent, warning that the government has failed to learn from last year’s Gen Z-led protests.
Gachagua criticised what he described as the government’s growing intolerance to dissent, warning that a pattern of harassment, intimidation, and scapegoating is taking root particularly as the controversial 2025 Finance Bill looms.
“As we approach the one-year anniversary of the Gen Z protests, it is painfully clear that this administration has learnt nothing about listening to the people. 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,” Gachagua said.
He singled out the arrest and harassment of Rose Njeri, a young software developer, as a troubling sign of the state’s willingness to target youth and innovation in its campaign to muzzle public discourse.
“Instead of celebrating her innovation and contribution to civic engagement, the state has chosen to make an example of her. 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,” Gachagua stated.
Gachagua’s comments come amid growing concern over recent remarks by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who has proposed criminalising what he termed ‘fake abductions’.
The Former Deputy President warned that such a move could be abused to silence victims and discredit legitimate claims of abuse.
“The harassment of Rose is, unfortunately, just the beginning. Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen’s recent call to criminalise so-called ‘fake abductions’ is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to suppress dissent,”
“Who decides what is ‘fake’? The same administration where the President and his top officials dismissed reports of abductions as fake news or self-inflicted, only to quietly admit the truth under public pressure?”Gachagua posed.
Gachagua called on citizens to remain alert and urged solidarity in the face of shrinking civic space and urged authorities to release Njeri immediately.
“Now, more than ever, Kenyans must remain vigilant. We must speak up for our rights and for each other. I call for the immediate release of Rose Njeri and urge all Kenyans to stand together against the silencing of our voices. Our future depends on it,” he explained.
Gachagua questioned the government’s sincerity in addressing the concerns of young people, accusing leaders of hypocrisy.
“Ironically and curiously, this is the same administration shedding crocodile tears on Gen Zs and their blood and pretending to ask for forgiveness melancholically, ‘If there is any misstep, we apologize,” he stated.
Software developer and activist Rose Njeri was arrested on Friday, May 31, 2025, in Nairobi’s South B estate by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Her arrest followed the creation of “Civic Email,” an online platform designed to facilitate public objections to the proposed Finance Bill 2025 by enabling citizens to send their feedback directly to the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly and the Parliamentary Finance Committee.
Following her arrest, Njeri was taken to Pangani Police Station, where she has been detained without formal charges or bail.
Efforts by her legal team, including senior counsel John Khaminwa, to secure her release have been unsuccessful. Khaminwa reported that the officer in charge at Pangani stated his hands were tied regarding granting bail.
During the arrest, DCI officers conducted a search of Njeri’s home without presenting a search warrant, confiscating her work tools, including computers, hard drives, and phones.
Her family members, including her mother, Naomi Njoki, have expressed concern over her health, noting that she suffers from anemia and that the conditions of her detention are detrimental to her well-being.
