Filmmakers Behind ‘Blood Parliament’ Released Amid Outcry Over Media Crackdown
Four Kenyan filmmakers linked to the viral BBC documentary Blood Parliament were released from Pangani Police Station on Saturday morning after spending a night in custody under unclear circumstances.
The documentary, which exposed the identities of security officers allegedly behind the fatal shootings during last year’s anti-Finance Bill protests, sparked national outrage and renewed calls for accountability in Kenya’s security apparatus. The exposé has been widely praised for its fearless journalism but has also provoked political backlash and intensified scrutiny from government forces.
The arrested filmmakers — Nicholas Gichuki, Brian Adagala, Mark Denver Karubiu, and Christopher Wamae — were apprehended on Friday night at their studio in Karen. Their release was confirmed by their lawyer Ian Mutiso and Africa Uncensored CEO John-Allan Namu.
The group had been detained without formal charges or public warrants, leading to public condemnation and allegations of state overreach aimed at suppressing dissenting voices and independent media.
“Their arrest, believed to be politically motivated, raises grave concerns about the increasing weaponisation of law enforcement against independent journalism and documentary filmmaking,” read a statement from the Civic Freedoms Forum (CFF).
The forum — which includes Defenders Coalition, Article 19 East Africa, IMLU, Transparency International, and Muslims for Human Rights — noted that the arrests occurred on the eve of World Press Freedom Day, calling it a “deliberate affront to the values enshrined in Kenya’s Constitution and international human rights conventions.”
The Blood Parliament documentary has shed light on troubling human rights violations, including the use of lethal force against unarmed protesters, and has been credited with bringing renewed focus to calls for police reform. Yet some political figures have dismissed the film, claiming that the country has already “moved on” from the tragic events of the protests.
Public reaction to the arrests was swift, with online campaigns and civil society groups demanding their immediate release and denouncing the government’s attempts to intimidate journalists.
The incident has added to growing fears about media freedom in Kenya, especially at a time when filmmakers and journalists are increasingly turning to investigative storytelling to expose systemic abuses and demand reform.
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Filmmakers Behind ‘Blood Parliament’ Released Amid Outcry Over Media Crackdown