Former police officer Hiram Kimathi has been arrested in Kinoru village, Meru County, over alleged involvement with the controversial FBI movement, short for Fighting Brutality and Impunity. His arrest brings the number of known members taken into custody to three, as police intensify investigations into what they suspect could be a coordinated underground network.
Kimathi, who was previously stationed in Machakos, was arrested without resistance at his home in the Kambakia area, in an operation led by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). He is currently being processed in custody and is expected to be arraigned in court in the coming days.
His arrest follows that of two other prominent figures in the movement—Patrick Nyambaka Osoi, a former Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldier and US army veteran, and Jackson Kuria, popularly known as “Cop Shakur”, a former Kenya Prisons Service officer. Both were apprehended in Nairobi earlier in the week and charged under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Police say the three are part of a growing underground group of former and current security officers allegedly using the FBI identity to organize, mobilize, and potentially incite unrest. Investigators claim the group’s growing online presence, featuring members in military fatigues and red berets bearing the FBI insignia, raised national security concerns—especially in light of the recent wave of anti-government protests across the country.
DCI sources revealed that the movement, initially presented as an advocacy platform against police brutality and injustice, has since caught the attention of anti-terrorism units after intelligence suggested possible recruitment efforts and calls to defy state authority. Videos circulated on social media had shown the members chanting slogans, dressed in jungle combat gear, and referencing “liberation,” which authorities say could be misinterpreted or exploited by extremist groups.
Hiram Kimathi rose to national attention after publicly rejecting a transfer order from Machakos to the volatile Todonyang police post in Turkana County, claiming it was a punitive move for speaking out against the Interior Ministry’s handling of police operations during recent protests. He was vocal about what he termed as systemic brutality and repression within law enforcement ranks.
His lawyer, Dan Kiruai, has accused police of harassment and political victimization, insisting that Kimathi’s activism is protected by the constitution and that his arrest lacks transparency. Kiruai also claimed that police had not disclosed his client’s official detention location nor the charges he faces.
Meanwhile, Osoi and Kuria have already appeared before the Kahawa Law Courts and are facing charges related to terrorism and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. Both have denied the charges.
As Kimathi awaits his day in court, police say the manhunt for other suspected members of the FBI movement continues. Authorities have urged any current or former officers with links to the group to come forward before facing arrest.
The FBI movement’s rise has sparked public debate over the limits of activism within the security forces and the fine line between civil protest and state-defined extremism. While its members describe it as a brotherhood of reformers seeking justice and dignity for security officers and citizens alike, the state views it as a growing threat that must be swiftly neutralized.
With Kenya still reeling from political unrest and facing rising youth dissent, the arrest of Kimathi and others affiliated with FBI sets the stage for a broader national conversation—on justice, accountability, and the nature of lawful resistance.
