Digital Strategist and Head of Creative Economy at the Office of President William Ruto, Dennis Itumbi, has condemned the arrest of BBC's 'Blood Parliament' documentary filmmakers.
Itumbi, in a brief statement on Saturday morning, noted that the arrest of the four local filmmakers, whose only mistake was to make a film, was unnecessary.
According to the State House official, there was an alternative story on the violence and political planning that orchestrated the storming of Bunge towers and invading the armoury at the Mosoleum.
While condemning their arrests, Itumbi called for the making of a new film to expose those who were behind the planning and storming of parliament on June 25, 2024.
"Arresting BBC journalists merely for making a film is unnecessary. There is an alternative story on the violence and political planning that unleashed the storming of the bunge and invading the armoury at the Mosoleum," Itumbi commented.
"Make an alternative documentary, tell the other story. BBC told their story. Let them be. Free the journalists. In my view," he added.
The four filmmakers were arrested at their studio in Karen on the night of Friday, May 2, and booked in separate police stations. They include Nicholas Wambugu, Brian Adagala, MarkDenver Karubiu, and Chris Wamae.
Moments after their arrests, the police officers went ahead to confiscate their equipment and hard drives. Human Rights activist Hussein Khalid, while commenting on the matter, claimed the filmmakers were being held in Pangani and Muthaiga Police Stations.
However, the four were later released on a free bond but without their equipment after they were booked for alleged false publication.
While confirming their release, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) lawyer, Ian Mutiso, revealed that he had contacted the police and personally made a follow-up to ensure the four secured their freedom.
"When I spoke to the DCIO for Pangani, he gave me some very concerning information stating that this matter was not under his purview. He informed me that this was being conducted from DCI headquarters, and this is something I will follow up on," Mutiso said.
The latest development comes hardly a week after BBC Africa aired the controversial documentary which identified members of the Kenyan security forces who shot protesters during the youth-led demonstrations in June last year.
The investigative piece, which was uploaded on Youtube on Sunday, April 27, analysed more than 5,000 footage of the demonstrations involving the police officers and officials from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
BBC traced three of the killings on a 3D reconstruction of the country's Parliament, unveiling the real faces of the killers of the Gen Z protesters who were shot dead outside the Parliament buildings. By
