Activist Jackson Kuria Kihara, widely known as Cop Shakur, has claimed that the State has blocked his attempts to resign from the Kenya Prisons Service (KPS).
In an interview on Tuesday, January 21, Kihara revealed that he had submitted two resignation letters, both of which went unanswered.
The officer, who joined the anti-finance bill protests in June, was later suspended for his involvement but confirmed his intention to leave his career as a security officer to pursue activism.
Shakur stated that his decision to leave the force had resulted in disciplinary action and intimidation, including a posting to a hardship area as punishment.
“Many people ask me why I choose to be an activist despite being an officer. After the Gen Z protests, I was interdicted, reinstated, and posted to a hardship area as punishment,” he explained.
He further shared that the authorities had refused to accept his resignation, telling both him and his lawyer that he could not leave the force.
“I have written two resignation Letters and none has been responded to. They said they won’t let me go, they even told my lawyer the exact thing,” he added.
Kihara also condemned unlawful actions like extra-judicial killings, calling on his fellow officers to resist illegal orders.
“I will always stand for justice. I was trained for nine months as an officer, I knew having a sniper on top of KICC shooting harmless Kenyans was wrong. I know abductions are wrong, extra-judicial killings are wrong. I want to urge every officer in the service not to follow unlawful orders. Let them charge you with anything they want. Stand for what is right,” he stated.
Kihara was charged on Monday for allegedly publishing false information on social media. He denied the charges and was granted a Kes. 100,000 bond, with the case set for mention on February 17, 2025.
