The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) president, Faith Odhiambo has condemned the police for detaining Rose Njeri, a woman who created a website allowing citizens to submit objections to the controversial Finance Bill 2025.
In a statement on Saturday, May 31, 2025, Odhiambo revealed that Njeri was arrested on Friday afternoon by Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers, sparking widespread concern among Kenyans. The arrest prompted numerous distress calls to the LSK from members of the public who had witnessed the incident.
In response, the LSK boss said they urgently dispatched a team of advocates to locate Njeri and secure her release. However, the search was met with resistance from the authorities.
According to Odhiambo, the officers who picked up Njeri did everything possible to block her from accessing legal counsel. It was only after hours of searching that the legal team was informed that she was being held at Pangani Police Station.
“The @LawSocietyofKe received numerous distress calls from concerned citizens who witnessed the unlawful arrest of Ms. Rose Njeri yesterday afternoon. We promptly set up a team of Advocates to locate her whereabouts and secure her release,” she stated.
Adding;
“However, the officers of the @DCI_Kenya who picked her up went through great lengths to deny her access to legal counsel. At around 8pm, after extensive efforts to find out where she was being held, we received information that she was being held at Pangani Police Station.”
The advocates proceeded to the station, where they were eventually allowed to see her after prolonged negotiations. Despite finally gaining access, Odhiambo said efforts to have her released on police bail have so far been unsuccessful.
The Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Pangani has refused to grant her bail, and her legal team was forced to keep vigil at the station late into the night. Odhiambo confirmed she had spoken with one of the lawyers on the ground, who updated her on the situation.
“Our team of Advocates on the ground proceeded to Pangani Police Station, where, after long interventions, they were able to gain access to her. However, all efforts to secure her release on police bail have so far been frustrated by the officers in charge, who are yet to cede to requests by counsel to release her. Our team kept vigil at the police station late into the night, and I spoke with @rtunguru, who updated me on what transpired,” the LSK boss added.
Njeri’s arrest follows her recent launch of a website titled “Objection to the Finance Bill 2025 (National Assembly Bills No. 19 of 2025),” through which she encouraged Kenyans to send their feedback and objections to the proposed law. The bill has sparked national debate, with many Kenyans expressing concern over proposed tax increases.
The LSK president urged the public to remain calm and vigilant as they work to ensure justice is served. She promised regular updates on the progress of the case and reaffirmed the Society’s commitment to defending the rule of law and constitutional rights.
