Dennis Itumbi, Head of Creative Economy in President William Ruto’s office, has strongly condemned the arrest of four Kenyan filmmakers involved in the production of BBC’s controversial documentary Blood Parliament.
In a statement on Saturday morning, Itumbi criticized the Friday night arrest of Nicholas Wambugu, Brian Adagala, MarkDenver Karubiu, and Chris Wamae at their Karen studio, describing it as unwarranted. “Arresting journalists for making a film is unnecessary,” he said. “BBC told their story. Let them be. Free the journalists.”
The filmmakers were reportedly booked at Pangani and Muthaiga Police Stations and had their equipment, including hard drives, confiscated. Human rights activist Hussein Khalid confirmed the filmmakers’ detention, while lawyer Ian Mutiso, representing the Law Society of Kenya, followed up to secure their release on free bond. However, their equipment remains in police custody.
Mutiso disclosed that the investigation is being handled by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters, not local stations, raising concerns over transparency.
The arrests follow the April 27 release of Blood Parliament on YouTube. The BBC Africa Eye documentary uncovered the identities of security personnel allegedly involved in shooting protesters during the Gen Z-led demonstrations of June 25, 2024. Using over 5,000 video clips and a 3D reconstruction of Parliament, the documentary traced at least three killings to specific officers.
Itumbi urged the creation of an alternative documentary to tell other sides of the story regarding the violence and storming of Parliament. “There is an alternative story,” he noted. “Make another documentary, but don’t silence journalists.”
The incident has sparked outcry from media freedom advocates amid rising tensions over government transparency and freedom of expression.
