Cop Shakur expresses disgust and disappointment over Iyanii performing for President Ruto

Jackson Kuria Kihara, a former prison officer turned human rights activist, has ignited public debate following a strongly worded social media post.

Popularly known online as @cop_shakur, Kuria criticised Kenyan musician Iyanii for performing at President William Ruto’s 2025 Jamhuri Day celebrations. He argued that the appearance crossed a moral line, given the events that preceded the national holiday.

Music and the Politics of “Sanitisation”

Kuria described Iyanii’s performance for the Head of State as deeply troubling, accusing the Donjo Maber hitmaker of using his influence to help “sanitise a brutal regime.” According to the activist, such state-backed performances contribute to erasing public memory of the violence witnessed in recent months.

“What broke me even further was seeing Iyanii perform for the president — the same man who ordered the killing of Kenyans. With the influence he has, he is helping sanitise a brutal regime,” Kuria stated.

He placed responsibility for the loss of lives squarely on the President, noting that while public celebrations and media attention have shifted elsewhere, affected families remain trapped in grief.

A Call for Accountability

Kuria warned that the national narrative is slowly being reshaped to make Kenyans forget the pain of the past year. He stressed that for many families, suffering did not end when protest coverage faded from the headlines.

“Slowly, Kenyans are being made to forget what was done to us. Meanwhile, the families of the victims are still suffering. They are still grieving. Their pain did not end when the cameras left,” he wrote.

He maintained that, to date, no justice has been delivered for those who lost their lives, adding that he continues to pray for a day when accountability is finally realised.

Bearing Witness to Violence

The activist grounded his criticism in his own experiences, revealing that he fell into deep depression after witnessing the aftermath of state-led violence. Kuria recounted visiting a morgue for the first time and seeing bodies of individuals he claims were killed on state orders, following postmortem examinations.

Throughout the 2024 protests, he attended multiple funerals for victims of alleged police brutality — ceremonies he insists should never have happened.

“For the first time in my life, I walked into a morgue and saw bodies — people who had been brutally killed on orders from the state, after postmortems were conducted,” he said.

The Roysambu Case

Among the incidents he highlighted was the killing of a 17-year-old boy who was reportedly shot dead in Roysambu during the height of the 2024 demonstrations. Kuria said the case left him feeling deeply helpless.

He noted that he was among the activists who urged Kenyans to take to the streets in search of justice. However, he claims that instead of addressing public grievances, the President responded with increased force.