NAIROBI, Kenya- Four Kenyan filmmakers, including Nicholas Gichuki, Brian Adagala, and Mark Karubiu, were arrested on Friday at their studio in Nairobi’s upmarket Karen suburb under unclear circumstances.
The arrest comes just days after the release of Blood Parliament—a hard-hitting BBC Africa Eye investigation that exposes police and military involvement in the fatal shooting of unarmed protesters during the anti-tax demonstrations on 25 June 2024.
In four days, the documentary has attracted nearly 5 million views from across the world.
The documentary, which has triggered a storm of political and public reaction, uses open-source evidence to track the moments leading to the deaths of three young men outside Parliament: software engineer David Chege, butcher Ericsson Mutisya, and finance student Eric Shieni.
Sooo 1. Blood parliament is going back to trending topics. 2. More people worldwide will now want to watch it. 3. The international community will be more invested & @BBCAfrica will amplify this 4. Just like Echoes of war, someone within this admin is digging a hole.
The circumstances surrounding the filmmakers’ arrest remain murky, with police yet to issue a formal statement or specify any charges.
Their detention has raised fresh concerns over media freedom in Kenya. Human rights activists have condemned the move, viewing it as retaliation for exposing sensitive state-linked abuses.
Efforts to hold security forces accountable for the 2024 protest killings have stalled.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) says it received over 600 complaints from the protests, including 60 deaths and more than 200 injuries, many from gunshots, but no officers have been prosecuted.
Meanwhile, Kenyan lawmakers have clashed over the BBC’s exposé.
Some accused the British broadcaster of targeting the country, while others, like Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, praised the documentary and called for police accountability.
A public screening of Blood Parliament planned in Nairobi was cancelled following government pressure.
What happened to media freedom in Kenya? #FreeBBCJournalists #BloodParliament @BBCAfrica @BBCNews @UKinKenya @FCDONeilWigan
