From grand opening to handcuffs - Cop Shakur’s fortunes change in one week

Just days after celebrating the launch of his new laundry shop in Kikuyu, an event graced by Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, former prison officer Jackson Kihara, popularly known as Cop Shakur, is now appealing for financial help from behind bars.

Shakur reached out on his X page on Thursday, posting a video of himself handcuffed inside what he said is Thika Prison.

The contrast was striking: last week, he was cutting a ribbon at a glossy shop opening; this week, he claims he is locked up over unpaid debt.

According to Shakur, the arrest stems from a longstanding financial obligation he has been unable to settle since losing his job. In his posts, he insisted he had been detained as a civil debtor rather than a criminal.

"I'm in Thika Prison for failing to pay debts after being fired by the Kenyan Government," he wrote, before sharing his phone number and asking well-wishers for assistance. He added that anyone willing to help could visit him at the prison or send money directly.

His admission that an arrest warrant had been active even during the period he was launching the laundry shop has raised questions online. Kenyans have been divided, some sympathetic, others critical of what they see as a fast, almost theatrical fall from grace.

Many commenters pointed out the unusual timing: How does someone open a business, host high-profile guests, and then end up in custody a week later over what appears to be an unresolved and long-running debt?

Others accused him of relying too heavily on clout rather than quietly stabilising his financial situation.

The former officer maintains that he has been trying to rebuild his life since losing his job, and that the laundry business was meant to help pay off what he owes.

Just last week, MP Babu Owino had praised him at the launch event, calling the new establishment a sign of determination and growth.

But the sudden shift from celebration to crisis has left many questioning whether Shakur’s challenges run deeper than he publicly acknowledges