NAIROBI, KENYA — Four young Kenyans involved in the production of the BBC documentary “Blood Parliament” have been arrested, triggering widespread online condemnation.
The arrests occurred days after the documentary’s release, which detailed the violent suppression of the June 25, 2024, anti-tax protests and identified police officers allegedly involved in the fatal shootings of three protesters outside the Kenyan Parliament.
According to activists monitoring the situation, the filmmakers – Nicholas Wambugu, Brian Adagala, MarkDenver Karubiu, and Chris Wamae – were apprehended at their studio in Karen on Friday night and subsequently booked at separate police stations.
Shortly after the arrests, activist Boniface Mwangi tweeted, “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.”
Lawyer and human rights advocate Hussein Khalid of Vocal Africa corroborated the arrests, stating, “The filmmakers were being held in Pangani and Muthaiga Police Stations.” He further commented on the government’s reaction, saying, “It seems this government has panicked and is making school kid mistakes. They are inviting people back to the streets.”
As of the time of reporting, the police have not issued an official statement regarding the arrests. The documentary’s release last week was met with prior obstruction, as a planned community screening was reportedly blocked, leading to public outcry.
The BBC Africa Eye documentary, “Blood Parliament,” meticulously analyzed over 5,000 images to reconstruct the events of June 25, 2024, identifying specific police officers believed to be responsible for the deaths of three protesters.
Members of Parliament have voiced criticism of the BBC documentary. Dagoreti MP John Kiarie questioned the broadcaster’s motives, stating, “BBC is funded by taxpayers’ money in Britain, meaning that it is funded to push the foreign agenda internationally. We want to know if the BBC is speaking as a mouthpiece of the government and the people of Britain or what it is doing.”
Kiarie further alleged that the documentary was an attempt to pressure the Kenyan government to retract its condition that British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) soldiers who commit crimes in the country must be prosecuted locally. He speculated, “Could it be an attempt to arm-twist this country so that they can rescind the rider that we put on the training of BATUK units in Kenya and perpetuate a history of extractive economy, oppressive and exploitative economy in an unfair trade balance between Kenya and the UK?”
In contrast, Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo called for thorough investigations into the protest violence and cautioned the government against suppressing the press. “I think we have not handled the issue well, and that is why people are coming from outside to document the events of that day. We do not need the BBC to tell us that something is wrong. We have a very angry young generation and we cannot bury our heads in the sand,” she stated, adding, “We think we are moving on but there are many young people who have not necessarily moved on. I appeal that we set up a select committee to deal with the the after effect of the Finance Bill 2024.”
A BBC spokesperson confirmed the prior obstruction, stating, “A screening of BBC Africa Eye’s ‘Blood Parliament in Kenya’ was cancelled due to pressure from the authorities.”
The release of the documentary has also intensified existing demands for the arrest and prosecution of the police officers implicated in the brutality witnessed during the anti-tax protests.
