JAMILA’S MEMO: This week's lesson - The Streisand Effect

Ah, the Streisand Effect – a term I’ve learned about this week that refers to the ironic and unintended consequence of trying to suppress information, which ends up causing that very information to go viral. It’s almost like the universe has a sense of humor.

Take the recent arrest and detention of web developer and activist Rose Njeri. Rose was simply going about her business, using her skills to highlight a national issue – the Finance Bill 2025. She created a digital platform designed to collect public feedback on the bill. Seems harmless enough, right? Well, apparently, her platform disrupted the Parliamentary email system, and she was promptly arrested, thrown in jail, and hauled to court.

And just like that, Rose went from being relatively unknown to a local hero overnight, with legal bigwigs lining up to defend her in court. It didn’t take long for the charge sheet to get torn apart and for Rose to be released on a personal bond. All she did was innovate, yet the government managed to turn her into a public figure – good job, really.

You know, the government’s approach to controlling information and freedom of expression is a bit puzzling. They rush when they shouldn’t, yet they fail to act swiftly when it’s necessary. Here’s a piece of advice: if you don’t want people to know something, don’t make such a big deal about it. The Streisand Effect works wonders, after all.

This reminds me of the ‘Echoes of War’ play by Butere Girls. The play was banned, and the whole country erupted in uproar. But wait—if it was that bad, how did it make its way through the sub-county, county, and regional levels before finally reaching the Nationals? Another case of rushing when they shouldn’t have, right? Had it been left alone, many might have forgotten about it, but no – they went and turned it into a nationwide drama.

This brings me back to Rose. In a strange way, she managed to create a more effective public participation exercise than what the government had envisioned. Imagine if they had used her skills for the public consultation on the Finance Bill instead of arresting her.

Public participation is meant to be about getting mass feedback from the people, and let’s be honest—people are going to say things you don’t like. It’s not exactly going to be a warm, fuzzy conversation. Yet, the government acted shocked when the feedback didn’t match their expectations. Funny how that works. Unless the intention is to treat the exercise as a rubber stamp instead of a truly meaningful exercise to gather public views on a matter.

At the heart of it, this all comes back to the Streisand Effect. By trying to control content, the government inadvertently gave the issue more attention than it ever would have had if they had simply let it be. It’s a clear lesson that in the digital age, where information spreads faster than wildfire, attempts to suppress often backfire.

Maybe, just maybe, the government should take a step back instead of getting caught up in a cycle of suppression that only brings more attention to what they’re trying to hide. If only they’d focus on the real problems, instead of chasing after every fire that flares up.