Courtroom summons DCI officers over spy ware discovered on BBC filmmakers’ devices

A Nairobi court docket has summoned two DCI officers to seem in court docket on October 1 to clarify why devices belonging to a number of the 4 filmmakers within the BBC documentary ‘Blood Parliament’ have been secretly put in with surveillance software program.

Milimani trial Justice of the Peace Eric Wambo issued the summons after the officers failed to seem in court docket on Monday.

Lawyer Ian Mutiso knowledgeable the court docket that the officers dealing with the case ought to seem and make clear the allegations.

“Your honour, we pray for summons for the two officers handling the case to appear and respond to our application,” Mutiso instructed the court docket.

The Justice of the Peace adjourned the case and directed it to be talked about on October 1, when the officers are anticipated to seem.

Last week, the filmmakers instructed the court docket that surveillance software program was secretly planted on their gadgets whereas the devices have been in police custody.

In the forensic report by the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab tabled in court docket, confirmed that one suspect’s cell phone had been contaminated with the industrial spy ware FlexiSPY through the time it was held by police.

According to the report, the telephone belonging to Nicholas Wambugu was confiscated on May 2, 2025, and returned to him on July 10, 2025.

Analysis confirmed that FlexiSPY was put in on the handset on May 21, 2025, at 17:17 GMT, nicely throughout the interval the telephone was below state custody.

The 4 filmmakers are Nicholas Wambugu, Brian Adagala, Mark Denver Karubiu, and Christopher Wamae.

FlexiSPY, the court docket was instructed, is a robust surveillance software able to recording calls, monitoring messages and areas, taking screenshots, remotely activating microphones, and even deleting or altering knowledge.

It has beforehand been linked to state surveillance operations, the focusing on of journalists and activists, and legal syndicates.

Citizen Lab researchers additional testified that whereas their evaluation confirmed FlexiSPY’s presence, they may not rule out the chance that extra spy ware or manipulations could have been launched whereas the machine remained with the police.

The 4 filmmakers behind the Blood Parliament documentary have been arrested in May 2025 and detained at Muthaiga Police Station following the discharge of the BBC exposé.

The documentary detailed how safety forces opened hearth on anti-tax protesters exterior Parliament in June 2024, leaving a number of lifeless and lots of others wounded.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arraigned the suspects below a miscellaneous utility that continues to be energetic.

They have, nevertheless, by no means been charged earlier than the court docket, and neither has the DPP most popular any fees towards them and they’re at present out on bail.