Press Freedom day is far from free, Rights groups say

Human rights groups have condemned the arrest of four film producers under unclear circumstances, calling it a threat to press freedom.

The four; Nicholas Gichuki, Brian Adagala, Mark Denver Karubiu, and Chris Wamae were initially linked to the BBC documentary Blood Parliament, which exposed how protesters died during last year’s demonstrations against the Finance Bill.

The documentary has sparked public outrage and renewed scrutiny of police conduct.

Civil organisations now say the arrests appear politically motivated and raise concerns over rising ‘weaponisation’ of law enforcement against independent journalism and documentary filmmakers.

In a joint statement, the groups urged the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to publicly disclose the legal grounds for the arrests.

‘’That this blatant act of intimidation occurred on the eve of World Press Freedom Day is not just ironic - it is a deliberate affront to the values enshrined in our Constitution and the international conventions Kenya has ratified,” the statement read.

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Signed by 10 rights groups including Kenya Human Rights Commission, Article 19, Transparency International Kenya, Defenders Coalition, and others, the lobby groups warned that the arrests and detentions risk eroding press freedom further.

‘’This crackdown is not just about four individuals—it is a warning to all journalists, filmmakers, and truth-tellers in Kenya. We cannot, and must not, allow fear to take the place of facts, or repression to replace reporting.’’

On their part, Police reforms working group while condemning the arrest of the four has called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to drop the charges of ‘’False publication’’ against the four and release their equipment.

They also called for a speedy investigation into the police officers identified in the BBC Blood Parliament documentary.  

‘’We call on the National police service to concentrate its vast investigative resources on finding the Kenya Defence Services and Police officers that were identified in the documentary.’’ the statement read.