Four Kenyan filmmakers linked to the viral ‘Blood Parliament’ documentary by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) have been arrested.
Nicholas Gichuki, Brian Adagala, MarkDenver Karubiu, and Chris Wamae are said to have been picked up by the police on the night of Friday, May 2, 2025, from their studio in Karen, under unclear circumstances.
Reports indicate that the four were separated into two groups upon their arrest, with Gichuki and Adagala being held at Pangani police station, as revealed by lawyer Ian Mutiso.
Karubiu and Wamae are reportedly being held at Muthaiga station. However, authorities have not publicly stated the reasons for their arrest.
Online uproar
The reports about the arrest have sparked an online uproar among civil rights advocates and a section of Kenyans on the internet, with questions mounting over the legality and motive behind the detentions.
Activist Boniface Mwangi is among those that have questioned the motive behind the arrests, noting that the four filmmakers did not film the ‘Blood Parliament’ documentary.
According to Mwangi, the four were not told the reason for their arrest at the time they were picked up by the police.
He further said that the police confiscated their equipment and hard drives during the night arrest.
“The police have arrested three filmmakers, Nicholas Wambugu, Brian Adagala, MarkDenver Karubiu, and Chris Wamae, at their offices at Karen Village. The police confiscated their equipment and hard drives. One of them managed to make a call and said they have been split into two groups, one headed to Pangani Police Station and the other to Muthaiga,” Mwangi stated.
“The arrested filmmakers didn’t film or contribute to #BloodParliament, and they weren’t told the reason for their arrest. Lawyer @eyanm has traced Nicholas Wambugu and Brian Adagala at Pangani, and MarkDenver Karubiu and Chris Wamae at Muthaiga.”
Lawyer Willis Otieno has also condemned the arrests, terming them as a cowardly move by the government.
“This regime fears ideas more than thieves. They jail filmmakers for telling the truth, yet reward looters with parastatal seats and fake job titles. In Ruto’s government, stealing is policy, lying is strategy, and silencing creatives is a priority. A government of cowards, by cowards, for cowards,” Otieno stated.
Blood Parliament documentary
The arrest comes days after BBC Africa Eye released a 40-minute exposé showing how Kenyan security forces used live ammunition on anti-tax protesters outside Parliament during the June 2024 Gen Z protests.
The documentary also linked a military officer to some of the shootings that took place at parliament.
The film has sparked public outrage and drawn international attention to alleged extrajudicial killings.
Director of Public Prosecutions Mulele Ingonga, while responding to the exposé, ordered the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to investigate the events surrounding the protests.
Ingonga emphasised the documentary raised “serious concerns” about the use of force, possible misconduct, and violations of public order.