Arrested for storytelling: Filmmakers describe police raid over controversial documentary

The quiet hum of creative energy in a Nairobi studio came to an abrupt halt one Friday afternoon when Nick Wambugu and his colleague, Denver, were confronted by a knock at the door; a knock that would soon send their peaceful world into chaos.

As young filmmakers, they never imagined a routine day of reviewing footage would lead to an arrest that would shake them to their core.

Nick, one of the filmmakers accused of involvement in the controversial BBC Africa documentary Blood Parliament, shared his unsettling experience in an interview with investigative journalist John-Allan Namu.

It was around 3 pm when Nick visited Denver’s office in Karen, Nairobi.

What seemed like a typical creative session soon took a strange turn when they heard an unexpected knock.

Denver hesitated before opening the door, as the studio was always locked, and they were not expecting anyone.

But standing outside were three police officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

"They entered and immediately told us that we were arrested," Nick recalled. "Of course, they started with, 'Where is your licence?' but immediately we realised that there are no issues here."

The officers swiftly seized all their equipment, including laptops, phones, and hard drives, before escorting the filmmakers to the DCI Headquarters.

What followed was an intense and lengthy ordeal.

At the DCI offices, Nick and his colleague were separated and interrogated.

Nick, who told the officers he was a filmmaker and content creator, was asked to explain his work.

"They asked what kind of work I do and I told them I am a filmmaker and a content creator," he said.

"I told them I do content, TV commercials, and after that, they began querying us on whether we have done something that is against the government."

After a grueling four-hour interrogation, the filmmakers were transferred to different police stations, where Nick discovered that he was facing charges of false publication, a serious accusation that raised further questions about the reason behind their arrest.

"It was at Pangani Police Station that I realised that we had been charged with false publication," Nick revealed.

The arrest comes in the wake of a 37-minute documentary released by BBC Africa Eye, which investigates the killing of unarmed protesters during anti-tax demonstrations outside Kenya’s Parliament in June 2024.

The documentary centers on the death of Eric Shieni, a finance student at the University of Nairobi, who was fatally shot while leaving the protest.

According to the investigation, BBC Africa Eye reviewed more than 150 images captured before and after Shieni’s death.

The network claims to have identified the officer responsible, alleging he is a member of Kenya’s armed forces.

However, the officer’s identity has not been officially confirmed.

For Nick and his colleagues, the experience was a harsh reminder of the tension that often surrounds creative work, particularly when it involves sensitive or politically charged content.

They had simply been working on a documentary, but to the authorities, their efforts seemed to have struck a nerve.

As they continue to process the shock of the arrest, the filmmakers are left to question the true motivation behind the police intervention.