On June 3, 2025, the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi became the stage for an unprecedented legal spectacle. According to reports, approximately 100 lawyers, led by Senior Counsel Kalonzo Musyoka and Chief Justice Emeritus David Maraga, descended upon the courts to represent a relatively unknown activist named Rose Njeri. Njeri, who was arrested in connection to a yet-to-be-released website purportedly designed to facilitate public views from Kenyans, has suddenly found herself at the center of a high-profile legal battle.
State-sponsored blogger Cornelius Kipronoh announced that over 100 lawyers had been retained at the disposal of Rose Njeri
The sheer scale of legal representation, coupled with the involvement of prominent figures, raises more questions than answers. Who is the puppeteer behind this grand display of lawyers, politicians, and activists? Who is footing the bill for such an extensive legal team, given that Kenyan lawyers are not known for offering pro-bono services to activists? And perhaps most critically, could this mysterious website be a front for a mass-scale phishing operation orchestrated by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to capture user data and map the locations of activists and bloggers?
The Rise of Rose Njeri: A New Underground Legend?
Rose Njeri’s sudden emergence as a cause célèbre is curious, to say the least. Described as an activist, she lacks the public profile of other well-known Kenyan activists all of whom have been vocal in their criticism of the government and have led significant movements in recent years. However, these established figures have faced their own challenges, with many becoming discredited in the eyes of the public due to allegations of co-option, infighting, or failure to sustain revolutionary momentum.
Activist Rose Njeri. An underground legend or NIS psyop?
Boniface Mwangi, once a celebrated photojournalist and activist, has been accused of being too cozy with political elites. Hanifa Adan, a prominent voice during the 2024 anti-finance bill protests, has struggled to maintain her influence amidst personal controversies. Morara Kebaso and Kasmuel McOure, both vocal Gen Z activists, have seen their credibility wane as their activities have signaled their misuse as state-sponsored propaganda hoodlums.
Enter Rose Njeri – a fresh face, untainted by the baggage of her predecessors, yet thrust into the spotlight with an almost theatrical flair. The narrative being constructed around her is one of an underground legend in the making: a young, idealistic activist arrested for daring to create a platform that amplifies the voices of ordinary Kenyans.
Heavy hitters: Retired Chief Justice David Maraga and DAP-K Party Leader Eugene Wamalwa were shocking present in court
But the speed and scale of her legal defense suggest that her arrest and the subsequent court drama may not be as organic as they appear. The involvement of high-profile figures like Kalonzo Musyoka, a seasoned politician and former vice president, and David Maraga, a respected former Chief Justice, lends an air of gravitas to Njeri’s case – but it also fuels suspicion.
Why would such heavyweights rally behind an unknown activist for a project that hasn’t even gone live?
The Puppeteer Behind the Curtain: Who Is Pulling the Strings?
The presence of 100 lawyers at Milimani Law Courts is not a spontaneous act of solidarity. Kenyan lawyers are notoriously pragmatic, and pro-bono representation for activists is rare unless there is significant public pressure or a clear political incentive. The cost of mobilizing such a large legal team would be astronomical, raising the question: who is footing the bill?
It’s highly unlikely that Njeri, an unknown activist with no visible financial backing, could afford such representation. Nor does it seem plausible that 100 lawyers, including senior counsel, would volunteer their services out of the goodness of their hearts.
Constitutional lawyer Kibe Mungai appeared for Rose Njeri
One possibility is that a powerful political or intelligence apparatus is orchestrating this spectacle. Kalonzo Musyoka’s involvement is particularly telling. As a seasoned politician with presidential ambitions, Kalonzo has a history of aligning himself with causes that can bolster his public image. His presence in Njeri’s case could be a calculated move to position himself as a champion of justice and free expression ahead of the 2027 elections.
But Kalonzo alone cannot account for the scale of this operation.
The involvement of David Maraga, a figure known for his integrity during his tenure as Chief Justice, adds another layer of complexity. Maraga’s participation lends legitimacy to the cause, but it also raises the possibility that he, too, is being used as a pawn in a larger game.
The most likely puppeteer is a shadowy coalition of political and intelligence operatives with a vested interest in controlling the narrative around activism in Kenya. The timing of Njeri’s arrest – less than a month before the one-year anniversary of the June 25, 2024 massacre, where dozens of protesters were killed by William Ruto during the anti-finance bill demonstrations – suggests that her case may be part of a broader strategy to infiltrate and disrupt revolutionary momentum.
It is clear without a shadow of doubt that this is an elaborate psyop
The June 25 massacre remains a raw wound in the Kenyan psyche, and the anniversary is likely to galvanize renewed protests and calls for accountability.
By creating a high-profile distraction in the form of Rose Njeri, the government or its allies may be seeking to divert attention from the massacre and fracture the unity of the activist community.
Suspicious Commentary from High-Profile Figures: Evidence of a Psyop?
The arrest of Rose Njeri has elicited suspicious commentary from prominent figures, fueling speculation that her case may be a carefully orchestrated psychological operation (psyop) by the National Intelligence Service (NIS). Nominated MP Sabina Chege has publicly questioned the necessity of Njeri’s arrest, stating on June 3, 2025, that the government might be sabotaging itself by detaining a mother of two merely for creating a website, suggesting there was no clear crime unless tied to a separate offense. Similarly, EALA MP Kanini Kega took a vocal stand on June 2, 2025, demanding Njeri’s unconditional release and threatening action if she wasn’t freed, an unusual move for a politician with a history of aligning with the ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition.
The coordinated nature of these responses from figures with ties to the government,  points to a possible NIS-orchestrated effort to manipulate the narrative around Njeri’s arrest, lending credence to the theory that this is a psyop designed to distract and control dissent.
The Website: A Tool for Empowerment or a Phishing Operation?
At the heart of Njeri’s case is the mysterious website she is said to have developed. Described as a platform to facilitate public views from Kenyans, the website has not yet been released, yet it has already landed Njeri in legal trouble. The lack of transparency about the website’s purpose and functionality raises red flags. If the platform is truly meant to empower citizens, why has it not been made public? And why would the government move so swiftly to arrest its creator before it even goes live?
One chilling possibility is that the website is not what it seems. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) has a long history of surveilling activists and bloggers, often using sophisticated methods to track their movements and networks. A website that encourages Kenyans to share their views could easily be a front for a mass-scale phishing operation designed to capture user data, including names, locations, and IP addresses.
Such a platform would be an ideal tool for the NIS to map the locations of activists and bloggers, identify their networks, and preempt any attempts to organize protests or dissent. If this is the case, then Rose Njeri may not be the mastermind behind the website at all – she may be a convenient scapegoat, foisted into the spotlight to distract from the true intentions of the operation.
A Distraction to Disrupt Revolutionary Momentum
The timing of Njeri’s arrest and the scale of her legal defense cannot be divorced from the broader political context in Kenya. The June 25, 2024, massacre was a turning point for the country, exposing the brutality of the state’s response to peaceful protests and galvanizing a new generation of activists.
As June 25th one year anniversary approaches, the system is getting restless
The one-year anniversary of the massacre, which falls on June 25, 2025, is likely to be a flashpoint for renewed unrest. The government, aware of the potential for mass mobilization, has a vested interest in disrupting the revolutionary momentum that has been building over the past year.
Rose Njeri’s case fits neatly into this strategy. By creating a high-profile legal drama, the government or its allies can achieve several objectives at once.
First, they can distract the public and the media from the upcoming anniversary of the massacre, diverting attention to Njeri’s case instead. Second, they can sow division within the activist community by elevating a new, untested figure like Njeri while discredited figures like Boniface Mwangi and Hanifa Adan are sidelined. Third, if the website is indeed a phishing operation, the NIS can use it to gather intelligence on activists and bloggers, allowing the state to preempt any attempts to organize protests or dissent.
Conclusion: A Pawn in a Larger Game
Rose Njeri may be portrayed as a new underground legend, but the evidence suggests that she is little more than a pawn in a larger game.
The orchestrated spectacle of her legal defense, the involvement of high-profile figures like Kalonzo Musyoka and David Maraga, and the suspicious nature of her website all point to a coordinated effort to manipulate public perception and disrupt revolutionary momentum.
As the one-year anniversary of the June 25 massacre approaches, Kenyans must remain vigilant.
The true battle is not in the Milimani Law Courts, but in the streets, where the fight for justice and accountability continues. Rose Njeri’s case is a distraction, but it cannot erase the memory of those who lost their lives on June 25, 2024, nor can it extinguish the fire of a movement that refuses to be silenced.
1 comment
sometimes i lack words…….😩😔