Software developer Rose Njeri named TIME100 Next rising star
National
By
Mike Kihaki
| Oct 01, 2025
Kenyan software developer Rose Njeri, whose arrest earlier this year drew global headlines, has been named among the world’s most influential emerging leaders by TIME magazine.
She features in the ‘2025 TIME100 Next list’ under the Advocates category, which celebrates individuals championing justice, equality, and citizen empowerment.
Njeri, 35, came into the spotlight in May after she developed an online tool that allowed Kenyans to email Parliament to protest the controversial Finance Bill.
The tool went viral within hours, attracting widespread use across the country.
But her bold step came at a personal cost. A day after launching it, she was detained under Kenya’s cybercrime laws, sparking an outcry from civil society groups and human rights defenders.
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After four nights in custody, she was released when a Nairobi court dismissed the charges as baseless.
For many Kenyans, her arrest symbolised the struggles of digital activists challenging state power. For Njeri, it became a turning point.
“I’m incredibly honored and excited to share that I’ve been named in the 2025 #TIMES100NEXT list! This recognition is not just mine but belongs to everyone who has walked this journey with me, challenged me, and inspired me to keep going,” she wrote on her X account following the announcement.
The recognition marks not only a personal triumph but a milestone for digital activism in Africa.
TIME cited her courage and digital innovation as central to her nomination, noting that her tool “transformed civic frustration into organized action” at a critical moment in politics.
“Authorities want to ignore us like we are not part of the process as citizens,” she said. “We shouldn’t just sit back and watch.”
The TIME100 Next is an annual recognition of 100 emerging leaders from around the globe shaping the future of business, culture, politics, and advocacy.
Jessica Sibley, TIME’s Chief Executive Officer, described the honorees as “changemakers redefining progress, influence, and impact in today’s world.”
Editor-in-Chief, Sam Jacobs, added that the list celebrates those “still on the rise” whose influence arrives early but reshapes societies in lasting ways.
The 2025 issue features three international covers spotlighting singer and songwriter Tate McRae, actor Jonathan Bailey, and Spring Health co-founder April Koh.
Other notable names on this year’s list include entertainers Becky G, Damson Idris, Lainey Wilson, and Rema; athletes Paige Bueckers, Taylor Fritz, and Spanish footballer Lamine Yamal.
Political figures such as Irfaan Ali of Guyana and Namibian Minister Emma Theofelus, and innovators like Phoebe Gates, Fatoumata Ba, and Cristóbal Valenzuela were also featured.