A Nairobi court has granted anticipatory bail to four BBC filmmakers arrested in connection with the investigative documentary Blood Parliament. Each has been released on a bail of Sh10,000, pending further investigations.
The four journalists — Nicholas Gichuki, Brian Adagala, Markdenver Karubiu, and Christopher Wamae — were arrested last week, with their electronic devices confiscated. They were initially released on a free bond.
The bail conditions require their legal representatives to present them at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters on May 21, 2025, for continued questioning.
Representing the filmmakers, Senator Dan Maanzo told the court that the arrests were conducted without proper justification and that his clients were compelled to sign documents acknowledging the seizure of their equipment without being informed of the nature of the investigation.
“The arrest and confiscation of their tools of trade were carried out without due process. This is a clear infringement on the constitutional rights of the applicants,” Maanzo said.
According to submissions made in court, it was only through a DCI application filed on May 6 that the filmmakers discovered the case may be linked to alleged violations under the Cybercrime Act and their role in the production of Blood Parliament — a documentary believed to expose political and institutional misconduct.
The defence team argued that the continued retention of the filmmakers’ devices lacked legal justification and raised serious ethical and press freedom concerns.
They urged the court to not only grant anticipatory bail but also to set aside the DCI’s miscellaneous application seeking to legitimise the seizure of the journalists’ tools.
The case will be mentioned again in court on May 28.
