Filmmaker behind 'Blood Parliament' claims state surveillance via hacked phone

Nicholas Wambugu, who was arrested in May 2025 alongside fellow filmmakers Brian Adagala, Mark Denver Karubiu, and Christopher Wamae, claims state agents tampered with his phone in an attempt to monitor his private communications.

The group was arraigned in court under a miscellaneous application in connection with the BBC documentary Blood Parliament.

According to the filings, Wambugu’s device was confiscated by police on May 2, 2025, and remained in state custody until July 10, 2025, when it was returned.

He alleges that during this period, the phone was compromised with FlexiSPY, a powerful commercial spyware.

A forensic analysis conducted by Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy confirmed that the spyware was installed on May 21, 2025, at 5:36 p.m., while the device was still in police possession.

FlexiSPY, which is marketed as a monitoring tool, has extensive surveillance capabilities including recording phone calls, intercepting encrypted chats, activating the device microphone, tracking location in real time, and even altering or deleting stored data.

Wambugu argues that the intrusion constituted unlawful surveillance and intimidation, directly linked to his role in producing a documentary that exposed sensitive political matters.

“This intrusion was not accidental. It was part of a broader effort to monitor and control us, and others associated with the documentary,” he said in his affidavit.