Kenyan authorities block screening of ‘Blood Parliament’ documentary: BBC

Kenyan authorities have blocked the screening of a BBC documentary exposing police officers who shot dead protestors at last year’s anti-tax demonstrations at Parliament buildings in Nairobi, the British broadcaster says.

The report dubbed ‘Blood Parliament’ was set to screen at the Unseen Nairobi cinema on Monday evening, with a panel discussion.

“A screening of BBC Africa Eye’s 'Blood Parliament in Kenya' was cancelled due to pressure from the authorities,” a BBC spokesperson said.

“We are very disappointed not to have been able to share the documentary and panel discussion as planned. In the meantime, audiences can watch the film on BBC Africa’s YouTube channel.”

Last June and July’s demonstrations against the 2024 Finance Bill and President William Ruto’s government were led by youth, commonly called Gen-Zs.

Over 60 people were killed as police used excessive force to tackle crowds in Nairobi and major cities and towns countrywide. Still, no investigation into police misconduct has been published since.

The BBC documentary, which has amassed over two million views on YouTube within a day of publication, singles out security officers believed to have instructed officers to kill, as well as those who pulled the trigger and killed three young men.

Investigators said they analysed more than 5,000 images to piece together the sequence of events on June 25 and the placement of both the victims and the shooters.

Another with his face covered is believed to have shot 39-year-old David Chege and Erickson Mutisya, 25, right outside the Parliament buildings.

Meanwhile, the film pinpoints a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officer as the killer of 27-year-old University of Nairobi student Eric Shieni, who was shot in the head while fleeing Parliament.

The report has sparked renewed calls for the arrest and prosecution of all officers who shot at protesters during the demos.

In response, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), which investigates complaints of police misconduct, on Monday said it had completed 22 investigations out of the 60 deaths reported.

The State-owned agency said it was pursuing 36 other cases, while two were in court. Two files were closed internally, three were closed following directives from the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), while four others remain in the DPP's office.

IPOA Chairman Issack Hassan said they recorded 233 injury cases during the demos, and blamed non-cooperation from police officers and witnesses for hampering the progress of some investigations.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen was set to issue a press statement on Tuesday.