Kenyan prison officer Jackson Kuria Kihara, known as Shakur the Cop, has been found safe after three days of disappearance.
The 25-year-old who had been vocal in his opposition to the 2024 Finance Bill and the deployment of Kenyan police officers to Haiti was found shortly after 6 pm on Monday, just days after his family and lawyer, Benjamin Njeru, raised alarms regarding his whereabouts.
“At some point, DCI officers visited his home inquiring about him, although he had neither been charged nor summoned anywhere. Due to reasonable fears for his safety, he chose to go into hiding,” explained lawyer Benjamin Njeru.
Concerned for his safety, Shakur’s lawyer advised him to visit a police station to provide a statement about his disappearance. However, Shakur opted to secure an anticipatory bail order from the court first, ensuring his safety and freedom amidst rising tensions.
“We obtained the anticipatory bail over the weekend, but unfortunately, just as we received the order, reports surfaced that he had either been abducted or had gone missing. This triggered a social media search,” Mr. Njeru disclosed.
Shakur had expressed concerns to those close to him, detailing unsettling incidents of receiving suspicious calls and being followed, presaging the danger he eventually faced.
“He had sent texts describing the nature of the threats he was receiving and his fears that his life was in jeopardy, which tragically materialized,” Mr. Njeru added.
The disappearance prompted his family to file a missing person’s report at Kiamumbi police station under OB number 29/06/24/06. NTV’s attempts to seek clarity from the Kiambu sub-county police commander yielded a referral of the matter to Kenya Prisons Headquarters, citing jurisdictional concerns.
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