Eugene Wamalwa urges Kenyans to celebrate detained Finance Bill 2025 critic Rose Njeri
As Kenya commemorates its 62nd Madaraka Day celebrations, Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) party leader Eugene Wamalwa has called on Kenyans to recognise and celebrate contemporary champions of democracy like civic activist Rose Njeri, a vocal critic of the contentious Finance Bill 2025, and the courageous Gen Z activists.
Taking to his official X account on Sunday, June 1, 2025, Wamalwa emphasised that, just as the nation celebrates its historical freedom fighters, it is equally important to recognise those who continue to advocate for justice and democracy today.
“As we celebrate our freedom and freedom fighters who fought to make us a free nation, we must also celebrate our present-day heroes and heroines like Rose Njeri and the brave Gen Zs who face present tyranny without blinking,”Wamalwa said.
Demand for Njeri’s release
Wamalwa’s remarks come as Njeri’s detention continues to spark widespread outrage on various social media channels, with netizens demanding her release.
Activist Boniface Mwangi, who joined a procession to the Pangani Police Station to demand the release of Njeri, decried the arrest and violation of her rights.
“Rose Njeri is in police custody. She is in jail for making it easier for Kenyans to submit formal objections to the proposed Finance Bill 2025. I have two broken toes and multiple fractures, and I’m getting by with a walking stick, but tomorrow at 10:00 am we will protest at Pangani Police Station to free her,” he stated.
“Either the police give her the bond to which she is entitled or we shut down the station. Her rights have been violated, and it’s our responsibility to stand up for her and demand for her immediate release. It is our constitutional right to protest and demand that her rights be respected,” he added.
Former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and former Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana are among prominent personalities who have spoken out against her arrest.
Njeri’s arrest
Njeri, a civic activist, had launched a website titled “Objection to the Finance Bill 2025 (National Assembly Bills No. 19 of 2025),” which encouraged citizens to submit formal objections and feedback directly to government institutions as part of the public participation process mandated by Kenya’s Constitution.
Her arrest by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Friday, May 30, 2025, triggered a social media storm and prompted swift intervention from the Law Society of Kenya (LSK).
LSK President Faith Odhiambo said in a statement on Saturday that the organisation had received several distress calls from members of the public who witnessed the incident.
She noted that the society immediately formed a legal team to trace Njeri’s whereabouts and secure her release.
Odhiambo further stated that the search was hindered by deliberate obstruction from law enforcement.
“The officers who arrested Njeri deliberately obstructed her access to legal counsel, making it extremely difficult for her to be located,” she said. It was not until around 8 pm on Friday that the LSK confirmed Njeri was being held at Pangani Police Station in Nairobi.
