Senator Cheruiyot: President Ruto does not decide who gets arrested
Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot has stated that the executive does not decide who gets arrested in the country.
Speaking at a local TV station on Monday, July 2, 2025, Cheruiyot stated that, according to the 2010 constitution, only the Inspector General (IG) of police has command over the police.
“The Inspector General (IG) exercises independent command over the police service. People imagine we are still back in the KANU days where the IG was under the hooks of the executive,” he stated.
“People wrongfully imagine it is the president who says, ‘I don’t like the voice of so-and-so’. 99% of the time, he reads about the arrests on the news like anyone else,” he stated.
Addressing the arrest of software developer Rose Njeri, who is being detained at Pangani police station, the majority leader stated that the responsibility to provide Kenyans with answers lies with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).
“We must begin to appreciate that there is no one switch in government that all things flow back to. Our constitution decentralised power. IPOA needs to step into the battle to push the conversation regarding Rose Njeri’s arrest,” he stated.
Rose Njeri’s arrest
Njeri was arrested in South B on May 30, 2025, for developing an online website, Civic Email, that asked Kenyans to object to the Finance Bill 2025.
“I wrote a simple programme that lets you reject the Finance Bill 2025 with just one click. Click below to send your objection,” she said in a tweet.
Several people and humanitarian groups, including former Chief Justice David Maraga and the Law Society of Kenya, have since come together to condemn her arrest and detention and call for her immediate release.
Further, on Sunday, July 1, 2025, a group stormed the Pangani police station in Nairobi, demanding her immediate release.
The protesters, who included activists Boniface Mwangi and Hanifa Adan, together with family members of Rose Njeri, gathered at the police station to demand her immediate release
The Finance Bill 2025 proposes several key changes to enhance tax collection and simplify compliance.
It introduces tax deductibility for contributions to the Social Health Insurance Fund, affordable housing levy, and post-retirement medical funds, which could reduce taxable income for contributors.
The bill also plans to replace the current 1.5 per cent Digital Services Tax with a 20 per cent Significant Economic Presence Tax targeting foreign digital businesses, broadening the tax base.
Excise duties are adjusted, including a 10 per cent levy on money transfer services, 15 per cent on alcohol and betting advertisements, and 5 per cent on imported sugar, except for pharmaceutical use.
The VAT registration threshold is raised from Sh5 million to Sh8 million to ease the burden on smaller businesses.
Additionally, the Kenya Revenue Authority will have greater access to financial data, such as mobile money statements, to better detect tax evasion. These proposals aim to strengthen revenue but have raised concerns over privacy and business impact.
