Reports have emerged that a police officer who had been vocal in his stance against the Finance Bill 2024 has been abducted.
Kenyan Prisons Officer Jackson Kuria Kihara popularly known as ‘Shakur The Cop’ had been photographed severally holding placards with messages against the unpopular bill and others criticizing his counterparts for using excessive force on protesters, asking them to save the bullets for Haiti gangs.
According to his lawyer Benjamin Njeru, the 25-year-old father of one went missing on Sunday, June 28, after he was unreachable on his personal mobile line. This was after a week of threats to the officer over his viral photos of participating in the protests which placed the target on his back.
“He went missing and we filed a missing persons report at Kiamumbi and we got an OB number but his case was quite different because photos of him were seen holding a placard with a reject finance bill hashtag,” Njeru told a local media house.
“He works for the Kenya Prisons Services which means that the limitation against picketing at Article 24 (5) does not apply to him,” he added.
His lawyer had foreseen his arrest and had successfully applied for anticipatory bail for 30 days but Kihara was reportedly abducted on Friday, June 28, before they could finalise its payment.
“We went to court and did an application for anticipatory bail and the same was posted yesterday and we received it today (Sunday, June 30). We got an anticipatory bail of Ksh100,000.
“Once we deposit Ksh100,000, he will not be arrested for 30 days until we go to court and the matter is heard and now you know he is abducted which is in violation of basic human rights,” he pointed out.
“We can’t pay the anticipatory bail when someone is abducted. We have to present ourselves and actually pay for it,” he stated.
His lawyer suspects that he is being held incommunicado based on threats made against him by individuals suspected to be police since Monday, June 24. The officer already was in hiding, declining to resurface and record any statement with authorities until a court order was obtained.
His lawyers sounded the alarm online, seeking information about his whereabouts to ensure that he is unharmed wherever he is being held.
” What we are doing on social media is to ensure that he is sound so the orders of the court can be affected,” the advocate noted.
He was freed on Monday, July 1.
The country was thrown into chaos after the Finance Bill protests, which led to the abductions of over 30 persons connected to the protests. Some have been released while others remain held with the call of their release making rounds online.
