Four filmmakers who were arrested and released at the weekend presented themselves at the headquarters of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Tuesday for grilling.
Nicholas Wambugu, Brian Adagala, Mark Denver Karubiu, and Christopher Wamae were accompanied by lawyers and activists who sought clarity on whether they face charges or not, and demanding return of their work equipment confiscated during arrest.
Their visit yielded no answers as no charges were formally presented, and they were not taken to court.
The four filmmakers have now been placed in a secure undisclosed location for their safety, the lawyers said.
“Even the summoning today is against their liberty…they’re in a constant state of being summoned to the police…they have no freedom, they have not been given any court date and we’re calling against that and we’re asking the DCI to look at what he is causing the families and to release those boys,” said lawyer Gloria Kimani.
Activists led by Boniface Mwangi and Hussein Khalid braved the rain outside the DCI headquarters to show solidarity, awaiting the fate of the four filmmakers.
” We came to the DCI to establish is there a case against these four individuals? We have been told there is no case, they have not been summoned, there is no warrant of arrest for them…so therefore we are now making the call for them to have their property released back to them so that they can continue doing what they do,” said Amnesty International Kenya Executive Director Irũngũ Houghton.
Their families are now calling upon the government to let them be and allow the filmmakers to return to their normal lives.
The group was preparing for the launch of a critical music video at their studio in Karen, Nairobi.
Insiders said the music video was set for launch on Monday May 5 when police struck.
The said video is on a satirical funeral which some see as politically motivated to attack some leaders.
“They were arrested because of that video that was to launch on Monday and which shows people celebrating at a funeral which is political in nature and which I don’t see as criminal,” said an official aware of the issue.
The arrest drew condemnation from various quarters.
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