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Defiant cop Hiram Kimathi now says life in danger after TV interview

Published 9 hours ago3 minute read
Police Constable Hiram Kimathi during an interview on KTN on Friday, July 11. [Screen grab]

Police Constable Hiram Kimathi has claimed his life is in danger following a KTN interview, saying he fears abduction rather than lawful arrest.

Kimathi, who has spoken publicly on police reforms and human rights, believes Friday’s appearance on KTN WeekendPrime may have triggered threats against him.

“I’m not comfortable disclosing more but I have my own intel, they are planning to pounce on me today, my fear is not being arrested lawfully but being abducted to unknown places,” he told a Standard reporter.

He added that authorities are monitoring his calls, urging journalists to switch to safer platforms. “I know they are listening to my calls, we better switch to a different platform, I know for sure they are,” he noted.

Kimathi said he was recently transferred from Kyumbi Police Station near Machakos Junction to Todonyang Police Station on the Kenya-Ethiopia border, describing the move as punishment for speaking out.

“This is not a transfer. It is a warning shot to every officer with a conscience. Speak out against the state, and you’ll be buried in isolation,” he stated on his social media page.

According to a letter he posted, he was ordered to report to the Officer Commanding Station upon arrival at Todonyang for further instructions.

“You will proceed from Kyumbi Police Station to Todonyang Police Station and upon arrival, report to the officer commanding station for further instructions,” the transfer order read.

Kimathi said the transfer followed his viral TikTok video criticising Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen’s order to shoot violent protesters.

“Sack me if you want. I will not be intimidated for speaking the truth,” he observed.

He explained that he expected the transfer but argued it was carried out in bad faith, questioning why he was singled out.

“It was not genuine. It was out of malice. Why me, in the whole nation? Why are you transferring Hiram Kimathi alone?” he explained.

Kimathi noted that the move points to a deeper problem within the police service and that he was prepared for the transfer despite the circumstances.

“I expected it because I knew they would transfer me regardless of the cost. But I didn’t take it badly,” he added.

During the KTN interview, Kimathi said he had hoped to serve as a voice within the police to advance community policing and repair relations with citizens.

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He told the Standard that he has served in forward areas and should now be posted closer to town to raise his family.

“I am not eligible to go back to the forward areas. My work is done there,” Kimathi explained.

The officer said he is not afraid of losing his job and would return to society if dismissed.

“Nobody was born employed. If I lose this job, I will go back to society and start again,” he noted.

Kimathi clarified that Todonyang itself is not a punishment area but argued that the transfer was meant to punish him for speaking out.

“The people there are not being punished. But for me, it’s a punishment because I spoke out,” he noted.

Origin:
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The Standard
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