When software developer Rose Njeri created a pro-democracy tool to help Kenyans object to a contested finance bill, she was thrown in jail and targeted by an online smear campaign.

Njeri is the latest victim of a sophisticated online apparatus that targets and harasses government critics in Kenya, where rights groups warn of an escalating crackdown on public dissent.

"I got to sleep in a cell for four days," the 35-year-old told AFP. "I was just making tools that aligned with my beliefs."

The east African country has seen a wave of deadly protests against President William Ruto and police brutality that have left dozens dead and thousands of businesses destroyed.

Although Njeri's arrest in May sparked outrage, prompting a wave of solidarity under the hashtag #FreeRoseNjeri on X, she al

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