Hiram Kimathi on Cop Shakur, Cop Shakur Conman Warning Ignites

A warning about Shakur, labelled a conman by fellow ex-officer Hiram Kimathi, has sent shockwaves through Kenya’s social media circles, urging netizens to avoid supporting the beleaguered cop after his tearful online plea for aid. In a candid video garnering views on platforms such as TikTok and X, Kimathi portrays Shakur as a “conman na mwizi” – a swindler and thief – who allegedly defrauded even his own girlfriend. This portrayal of betrayal has reignited old feuds from their days in a controversial vigilante squad.

The drama unfolded late Friday when Shakur, a 28-year-old former traffic officer turned Gen Z activist, dropped an emotional video from what looked like a dingy one-room rental in Eastlands.

Choking back sobs, he recounted his downfall: sacked from the National Police Service in July over alleged ties to the rogue “FBI” movement, a self-styled citizen patrol group accused of extrajudicial vigilantism.

“Bro, nimeanguka vibaya… msaidie kidogo,” he pleaded, flashing an M-Pesa till number for donations to cover rent and basics, his voice cracking as he mentioned mounting debts from the protests.

The clip, laced with raw vulnerability, quickly amassed over 50,000 views, drawing sympathy from youth still raw from the June uprising against the Finance Bill. But Kimathi, 35, who shared a similar ousting from the force alongside Shakur and activist Patrick Osoi, wasn’t buying the sob story.

In his rebuttal video, filmed against a nondescript Meru backdrop, the ex-cop – himself no stranger to headlines after an August arrest at his Kinoru home for FBI links – unleashed a torrent of accusations.

“Shakur is a conman! Nimefanya naye kazi ya FBI, na najua yeye ni scam. Nimuizi, anawaibia, hata girlfriend yake ameibia,” Kimathi fumed, claiming Shakur syphoned funds from joint hustles and personal ties, leaving a trail of broken trust.

The outburst, echoing their shared history in Osoi’s ragtag militia that patrolled Nairobi’s mean streets amid rising insecurity, has peeled back layers of a once-tight brotherhood now fractured by survival instincts.

Kenyans online are split down the middle. “If Hiram’s clean, why was he cuffed too?” one X user quipped, nodding to the trio’s August court appearance where they were freed on Sh100,000 cash bail each after DCI raids. Detractors, however, are piling on, sharing screenshots of alleged victim testimonials from group chats, painting Shakur as a serial hustler who exploited the Gen Z wave for quick cash before the crackdown hit.

This clash isn’t just personal beef; it’s a microcosm of Kenya’s post-protest hangover. The FBI outfit, born from youth frustration with police impunity, ballooned during the anti-tax demos but drew swift state hammer for bypassing law enforcement.

Osoi, the group’s de facto leader, was nabbed on Lang’ata Road with a cache of weapons, fuelling narratives of radicalisation. Shakur and Kimathi’s fallout underscores the fragility of alliances forged in chaos – one man’s hero is another’s villain, especially when wallets are involved.

As pleas for help morph into public mudslinging, questions linger: Is Shakur’s distress genuine, or another grift? Kimathi’s camp hints at more receipts incoming, while Shakur’s allies vow a response video by Sunday.

For now, the Cop Shakur conman warning serves as a stark reminder in Kenya’s digital town square: in the game of thrones for survival, loyalty is the first casualty. Donors, proceed with caution – the line between aid and scam is thinner than an M-Pesa confirmation.