Jackson Kuria Kihara, alias Cop Shakur, says that he will sue the government for dismissing him from the Kenya Prisons Service (KPS) and for the alleged mistreatment he suffered while in service.
"I have officially been dismissed from the Kenya Prison Service. I am working with my Lawyer to sue the Government," he said in his official X account on Tuesday, May 27.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke on Wednesday, May 28, he claimed that during his time in service, he was subjected to mistreatment and intimidation by his bosses and colleagues at the Kamiti Maximum Prison.
At one instance, Shakur claimed that one of his colleagues assaulted him after he refused to give his device's password to his boss.
On several occasions, the former officer alleges that he was locked inside the prison by his colleagues and was denied permission to go for lunch breaks.
"I experienced various forms of intimidation during my time in service. On several occasions, I was locked inside the prison and denied the opportunity to go outside. At one point, I was even assaulted by fellow prison officers after I refused to give one of the bosses my passcodes," Shakur said.
Shakur further claims that he was later transferred to a hardship area, Marimanti prison in Tharaka-Nithi, where he was never granted leave by his superiors, even after his requests.
Kuria claims that this, in turn, prompted him to table a resignation letter last year, which was declined back then.
According to Shakur, he received his dismissal letter under unclear circumstances last month. He later tried to appeal the decision, but without success.
Shakur has asserted that he will take legal action against the government and will be at the vanguard in championing the rights of Kenyans.
"Subsequently, I was transferred to a hardship area and was not granted leave, despite my requests. It was during that period that I decided to submit my resignation letter. Unfortunately, my resignation was not accepted," he said.
The former cop gained widespread attention during the Gen Z protests, in June last year, when he defied the odds and joined Kenyan youths in protesting against the Kenya Kwanza government.
He took to the streets with a placard bearing anti-Ruto slogans. As a result of his actions to oppose the government that employed him, Shakur's salary was halved as punishment.
