Questions over alleged arrest of four filmmakers
Police have yet to comment on the arrests
2d agoCYRUS OMBATIRealtime
The four filmmakers outside Pangani police station./HANDOUTPolice has released the four filmmakers arrested Friday night and booked for “false publication” without charges.
Nicholas Wambugu Gichuki, Brian Adagala, Mark Karubiu, and Christopher Wamae have been released on free bond but without their devices, lawyers say.
There is no cashbail that has been demanded also. I want to appreciate the Defenders Coalition and Vocal Africa, which are the two organisations that were ready to assist and ensure that the cashbail had been posted incase it was needed," Mutiso said.
According to LSK Lawyer Ian Mutiso, the four will now go home and rest as the legal team works around the clock to ensure their rights are not curtailed as he gave details of the behind-the-scenes effort to secure their release.
"This is a combined effort by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the media. Yesterday I was able to follow up on this arrest at Pangani Police Station. I personally called the regional commander and other officers who gave me details on their arrest," Mutiso said.
Lawyer Mutiso further revealed that Pangani Police Station DCIO told him the order to arrest the four filmmakers was not a matter under his purview as it emanated from the DCI headquarters.
"He informed me that this was being coordinated from the DCI headquarters, so I will follow up with DCI headquarters and ask the LSK leadership who will be there with me and we will be able to ascertain the particular charges and exactly what they intend to do as far as the investigations are concerned," Mutiso said.
The four were taken into custody on Friday night from their studio in Karen, Nairobi.
They were later held at Muthaiga and Pangani police stations. Authorities have not publicly stated the reasons for their arrest.
Earlier, prominent activist Boniface Mwangi said the police also seized equipment and hard drives during the raid.
“The police arrested the filmmakers at their offices and confiscated their tools of work,” Mwangi posted online.
According to sources familiar with the matter, detectives had been trailing the group for questioning related to the BBC documentary, though no official charges have been filed.
However, in a statement on Saturday from the BBC Press Office, the four filmmakers were not involved in the making of the exposé.
"We have been made aware of the arrest of four journalists in Kenya. To confirm, they were not involved in any way in the making of BBC Africa Eye's Blood Parliament documentary," the statement from BBC reads in part.
Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi also clarified that the four work in his organisation, Sema Ukweli.
"They are my colleagues at Sema Ukweli and their arrest is worrying because they were not involved in the production of Blood Parliament. Some of the things confiscated belong to our organisation and it's concerning that our government is afraid of the truth," Mwangi posted on Instagram.
The arrests came in the wake of BBC Africa Eye’s release of a 40-minute exposé alleging that Kenyan security forces used live ammunition on anti-tax protesters outside Parliament during the June 2024 Gen Z protests.
The film has sparked public outrage and drawn international attention to alleged extrajudicial killings.
In response, Director of Public Prosecutions Mulele Ingonga has ordered the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to investigate the events surrounding the protests.
Ingonga emphasized the documentary raised “serious concerns” about the use of force, possible misconduct, and violations of public order.
Given that some personnel involved may belong to the military, legal experts are calling for a broader investigation beyond IPOA’s remit.
Still, the DPP stressed the importance of an impartial and transparent probe, stating, “This matter is of public interest and touches the heart of our democratic values.”
