Kenyan rapper King Kaka has shared a vivid childhood memory that he says has remained with him for years — waking up as a teenager to find armed police officers standing over him.
In a video posted on his Instagram and TikTok accounts, the rapper recounted an incident that happened while he was in secondary school and living in Kaloleni, Nairobi.
The experience happened when he was in Form Three and sleeping at home in the Extension area of Kaloleni. “So I wake up in the morning, and the first thing I see is an AK-47 pointed at my face.”
At first, he said he thought he was dreaming.
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“My first thought was: these days, are dreams becoming this real? I felt like I could even touch the rifle.”
But moments later, reality set in. King Kaka said officers ordered him to wake up and get dressed. When he looked around the room, he realised there were three police officers, all carrying rifles, while his mother stood nearby.
He recalled that because of the heat during the night, he had gone to sleep wearing only boxer shorts.
Asked to Prove He Was a Student
The rapper said officers questioned him and prepared to take him away.
“They told me: ‘Wake up. What are you doing? Get dressed and come with us.’”
King Kaka explained that he immediately tried to convince them that they had made a mistake.
“I told them I was a student and that I had gone to bed early because I had exams the next day.”
The officers reportedly asked him to prove it.
He then opened his school bag and showed them his books and dates linked to his school schedule.
After checking the materials, the officers accepted his explanation and allowed him to remain behind.
A Wider Security Operation
The operation followed an incident in the neighbourhood in which a police officer had reportedly entered the area and was attacked, with a firearm allegedly taken during the confrontation.
He said security officers responded by rounding up many young men in the area for questioning.
King Kaka added that both of his brothers were among those taken away.
“They had already taken my brothers. They were taking many of the youth.”
The rapper did not indicate what happened afterwards, but presented the moment as one of the earliest experiences that left a lasting impression on him growing up in Nairobi’s Eastlands area, where he has previously spoken about facing difficult conditions while growing up.
