REMINISCING ON THE FIVE YEARS THAT HAVE BEEN.

It is exactly five years since I left the General Service Unit headquarters where I was based for around eight years. These are what I would call my foundation years in my career as a police officer. In these eight years, I worked in an operational area for one year and later played hockey for the the Kenya Police hockey team though I was occasionally involved in other mainstream GSU duties. However, it is at this time that I was able to to join several institutions of higher learning for evening classes. I was privileged to have undertaken self sponsored undergraduate and post graduate courses from 2008- 2015.

Studying would not have been possible were it not for the support I received from the Kenya Police Hockey Team members. This was in the form of time and moral support. One man however stood out. He is now a Police Sergeant who also left the GSU and joined the General duty police. In his hands, every officer who wanted to pursue further studies was able to do so. We jokingly called him Gaddafi. He was strict and fatherly. His official name- Sergeant Munyi. I forever remain indebted to him.

Beyond studying, I accidentally came across information on blogging- I immediately opened a blog and started sharing my story. It is this vital piece of information that would make the foundation of what I have been doing for the last five years. Though I am not a trained Journalist, my blogging experience gave me an opportunity to join the NPS communications unit based at the Inspector General’s office where I worked for four years. This was another amazing four years in my policing career. 

It is at this time that as a team player, I was involved in communicating the NPS Agenda. This was mainly on Social Media- Facebook, and Twitter. We also did press releases and statements. This we were doing as guided by the NPS Communication strategy. The main duties included creating online visibility of the NPS, promoting understanding of the NPS by the public, maintaining a platform for intelligence collection where members of the public would report issues affecting their security and  move all we were able to provide real time updates on unfolding events that affected public safety and security. 

The working environment here was amazing. I was able to develop myself and at least start a family - something I had tried before and failed miserably. I also for the first time boarded a plane- Twice to the US, Once to Tanzania and lastly once to Mombasa. I doubt that would have been possible if I was at the GSU (Sounds Petty?.) 

I however missed another opportunity to Travel to Russia for training - my place was taken by another female officer under unclear circumstances. I felt bad.

After these four amazing years, I left NPS Headquarters and Joined the DCI Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Unit for one amazing year. I dilligently undertook my duties in there. We excelled in what we did. We broke barriers and climbed heights. We produced the first and second edition of the DCI Magazine. As a team member, I worked with  other officers well. I learned a lot from them. Am sure they also learned from me. We were more than a family.

Exactly a year down the line, my transfer came. I didn’t expect it. It hit me hard- but I had to leave. Though I would have wished to work there for longer, it was time to leave. No other option. The circumstances not very favourable but that is a story for another day. 

Off to Lang’ata Police Division. 

IN THE HANDS OF ROGUE POLICE OFFICERS, NO ONE IS SAFE, NOT EVEN FELLOW OFFICERS

When I have no one to speak to speak to, I write. Today, I pen down a few lines though with a heavy heart. As I celebrate 14 years in the police service, I have come to realize that in the line of duty, I have two lives -a physical life and an online life. Though equally dangerous, the physical life is easier to deal with compared to the online one which is not a walk in the park. The #JusticeForMaina hashtag on Twitter and Facebook reveals what Kenyans think of modern day policing in this country and honestly speaking, the pain, the loss, the frustrations, the helplessness from some quarters and all manner of expressions are worrying and heartbreaking. However, like the Willie Kimani case, Katitu’s case, Kidero’s case and that of a former Ruaraka OCS, we must let IPOA and other Investigative agencies do their work. 

Day in day out, we the Police wake up just like other Kenyans. In our hands is a very sacred duty/responsibility of protecting life and property.

We have thousands of well educated/schooled officers

This provides us with an opportunity to touch humanity at it’s core. In our circles, we have law abiding cops, morally upright ones, well schooled and educated, compassionate, professional, folks who respect the right to live and work in any part of this country, officers who are not corrupt and those that go out of their way to make Kenya a better place to live in. Others have lost their lives and precious families in the line of duty without anyone speaking for them. These officers must be protected from any form of physical and online mob injustice. This protection can only exist in a country where violation of human rights and corruption is punished decisively irrespective of who has done these unlawful acts.

A Kenyan on twitter speaking of road blocks

Whereas we have amazing officers who diligently do this, we also have a whole lot that wake up just to cause misery and horror in the lives of Kenyans who pay taxes that end up as officers’ pay cheques at the end of the month. On a normal day, a good number of Kenyans give their firsthand accounts of horror in the hands of officers and honestly speaking, this should be a concern for everyone one with responsibility of ensuring that this trend is reversed as soon as possible. Such stories are posted online quite often with the number fast rising. Those who know some of us do call us quite often. From 24^th December - 26^th December 2018, I personally received distress calls from a good number of friends who were either arrested for ‘saa mbaya’ or for their private vehicles not having fire extinguishers and other offences that are nonexistent.

A quick online scan reveals a trend where Kenyans are fast giving up on us. We have been called class eight drop outs, Inhuman, folks who were recruited on the basis on being in procession of a certain set of teeth, Immoral, Uncouth, Killers, Corrupt, folks who fear the learned/educated, violators of human rights etc. Honestly speaking, this can cause well meaning officers untold misery since this is more or less mob injustice or what Kenyans have baptized team building.

Victims of mob injustice/team building

Police officers come from the same country that we police. This means that we also have our next of kin living in the same society hence our brothers, sisters, cousins, parents and relatives in general are not insulated from officers who are involved in actions that are outside what we were employed to do. They suffer immensely too and no amount of denial can take away that from them, only an admission and concerted efforts to punish such officers.

A good number of relatives and friends call me with hope that I can bail them out when they are at crossroads but honestly speaking, I have not been of much help to them. I have always advocated for the rule of law to take it’s course but am often heartbroken to hear that they bribed their way out and when I ask why, I am told that our justice system always takes police officers word as the gospel truth especially where one is accused of petty offences hence they choose the lesser evil. The few who have listen to me have come back to me with more pain as they are charged for trumped up charges that make them regret why they did not bribe.

As a person, I have also fallen prey to such officers. Mid November, I encountered one at a roadblock along Kahawa West-Kamiti road who after finding no fault in a vehicle that I had borrowed from a friend settled on an offence called-poor body work. I am yet to find the same in the Traffic act and other legislation. Mid December, on my way to Meru, I also encountered another officer at a road block who accused me of ferrying passengers using a private vehicle even after I informed him that we were heading to a burial to send off my nephew. 

Image of a wreckage of a PSV after an accident

This should tell us that a professional and accountable police service is good for all in this day and time. Innocent lives have been cut short in the hands of rogue officers, dreams shattered, jobs lost, livelihoods disrupted and lost. This is happening daily in our neighborhoods where chang’aa dens and wines and spirit shops operate outside the law with full knowledge and protection of officers of all ranks. This is evident as service colors branded vehicles do rounds in our estates with stopovers outside wines and spirit shops and bars, a routine that is repeated with zero worries which is an indicator that we could have given up on enforcement of the rule of law in one way or the other. Lives are lost on our roads after bribery and extortion became the order of the day at almost every roadblock, shisha parlors continue to operate with impunity, slot/betting machines are back in full force where our youth are fast finding a place to call a second home with increased cases of depression and suicide that are related to addiction from betting being reported. 

Despite heavy presence of police officers on our roads, Un roadworthy vehicles are all over, no speed governors, safety belts, Kenyans are being extorted and physically abused by touts with no one to come to their rescue despite heavy worded statements that have characterized the lives of who is who in various ministries that are charged with the responsibility of bringing sanity on our roads. Where do un roadworthy vehicles get valid inspection stickers from? Why do we act blind and assume that road safety will come to being by itself without us addressing the real issues?
As I sum up, I always feel sad anytime I see a photo of an officer trending just because he/she helped an elderly person or children cross a busy road. I think this should be a bare minimum and not a heroic act. However, in a society where police officers are rarely know to exhibit human traits, these simple acts remain heroic till we wake up from slumber land and accept the reality that is dwindling confidence in policing.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

A MONTH OUT OF POLICE LINES

Should it be a big deal that some folks in uniform are leaving/vacating government houses and will henceforth be paying their own house rent? I think it should not be as other Kenyans do so year in year out without creating any hype about it. However, for me, this is a big deal as this is the place I have lived in throughout  my employment life.

Growing up in my village-Kiaritha, the sight of an oncoming police vehicle was met with all of us scampering for our safety whether we were in the wrong or not. This meant that few of us if any knew how police officers lived and how their estates/dwellings looked like. Fast forward, when I joined the Police force back then-28/12/2004, I still did not have an idea of where I would reside after passing out but I imagined that I would at least get a single room, a place that I would be housed as I work for my country. Sadly for me, the sight of uni-huts and bush tents at GSU Miti-Mbili camp, my first work station revealed to me the reality that is policing housing.

Block U door Six

A year later, my company -Alpha Coy, moved to GSU headquarters and I had an opportunity to live in a stone built house for over twelve years since I never left the place till 17^th November 2018. Back then, when I was allocated a house at the camp, it had missing window panes, taps, a broken sink, broken water closet, all the walls were plastered with old newspapers among other defects but having lived in a bush tent for one year, this was not a bad deal at all. With time, I was able to repair and fix some of these defects but I lived with others for all the time that I occupied this house especially after someone stole a tap that I had fixed the night before. Honestly, I gave up on any further repairs.

Life in a police line meant that I never paid any utility bills; the government did so. This explains why broken taps in many houses had water running 24/7 with zero worries. Our electricity bills were also footed by tax payers-hence we used electric coils/cookers all through and rarely would you meet a sizeable number of officers using gas cookers or charcoal burners to make githeri, after all, we had free electricity 24/7. Throughout the years, I never paid garbage collection fees too as we had a unit truck that collected our garbage once in a week and that was a fair deal.

Ignore the 'window panes'

Occasionally, we used to have lines inspection that I thought would have led to repairs being done to these premises but for all the years, I never saw any single repairs after such inspections. Whatever the Inspection reports were used for, heaven knows. Living in a GSU Camp meant that we had our camp guarded 24/7 hence few instances of insecurity. I can’t remember any major security problem apart from a few house break- ins and the suspects were obvious to a large extent. 

To me, that was a life to cherish as I was shelved from many troubles/bills that folks living in Nairobi are exposed to; this I say with  humility. Mid 2015, even after being transferred to the General Duties police, I was not quick to leave police lines until things took a new twist three years later after the president okayed police restructuring that came with a provision to allow officers of other ranks (Police constable –Senior Sergeant) earn a house allowance and live out of police lines. This was a welcome move after years of earning a meager housing supplementation allowance which I came to learn recently that it was supposed to help us undertake minor repairs to our houses which we rarely did. 

This new housing arrangement meant that I had to leave GSU Drive In camp. Vacation notices started coming my way as the house that I was occupying was to be allocated to someone else who will be paying some economic rent to the government each month though the same houses miss basic fittings that would make an officer live a better life. Though I loved this place, I had to act fast to avoid the reality of forceful eviction and trust you me, a section of GSU officers can evict one out of a house within five minutes and before one notices, everything is scattered out there.

With this reality and after rumors of us earning a fairly tidy house allowance starting December 2018, I quickly spoke to my chama folks where I requested them to loan me a few coins that would enable my family relocate to another house a few kilometers from the city. My two chama dudes and a lady did not let me down hence on 17/11/2018; I vacated my house which also marked my first day out of a police line/house. This was a fulfilling moment; I give God all the glory and honor.  Without His visible hand in all this, I am sure the transition would have been frustrating, messy and noisy. 

From this day, water bills, power bills, garbage collection fees among other expenses were shifted from tax payers to one, Oga-Martin. It has been exciting, living and mingling with Wananchi, living in a new world of reality. This has been an eye opener since what  we call KUJIPANGA is now not an option lest water disconnection, blackouts from unpaid power bills and accumulated garbage becomes a true anti climax to this new life. Ksh 200/Month garbage collection fee is the damage to my pocket, water rationing is now a reality with our mtaa receiving the precious commodity twice a week with no GOK water browsers around like it was the norm in the police lines. I also have a new kinyozi guy but it costs 50 bob more to shave in my hood, I thought you should know. Manmo matatus are no longer my javs, I got Rukagina, Nazigi and Sunbird buses where i have to cough fifty bob more one way and leave my house one hour earlier than I used to do at Ruraka. I also have access to countless shops and grocery stores compared to one and the only one we had in Ruaraka,this place is Canaan!

With rumors of a slashed house allowance even before it reflects on our pay slips, I remain optimistic that in the fullness of time, my colleagues and I will fit in the new arrangement but I honestly see huge challenges. Land lords may be facing an uphill task in the near future as I am sure that some ninjas will be tempted to bulldoze their way into these estates on their own terms and conditions and without adhering to the laid down rules that common wananchi follow. This I say as I know that some of us have a serious sense of entitlement that few can tame. 
  
By the way, did any folks steal my tap this time round?Yes! They raided my compound in the wee hours of Sunday 9^th December and took off with two taps and a gate valve.

Missing gate valve

Missing tap.

Did I replace them? Yes I did since I knew that these were thugs and not my uniformed buddies. 








To cut a long story short,change is as good as rest.

EFFECTS OF ONGOING KIOSKS DEMOLITIONS TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID

Demolished Kiosks at Jonsaga-Huruma

Having worked at GSU Headquarters, I had an opportunity to see what was once called Waihenya /Allsops shopping center transform from a fairly clean shopping center to an eyesore. This happened after the construction of Thika Super Highway where the old center was replaced by shanties that housed food kiosks, wines and spirits shops and mobile money transfer shops among other small businesses. Sadly, this place had poor drainage, no reliable water and sanitary facilities and I always wished that cholera outbreak should not strike as close to whole GSU fraternity could have been affected if not wiped out not forgetting touts and drivers who frequented the place. 

Due to the strategic location of this center, boiled maize, eggs, smokies and sausage vendors among other business men and women invaded pedestrian paths, any available space and all was chaos. This happened under the watch of relevant government agencies whose mandate is to ensure that this does not happen. The reality is that cash changed hands and county government officials used to receive the same in the name of allowing these folks set shop. 

Food Kiosk in Portland Oregon

Earlier this year, partial completion of the Outering road resulted to demolition of the kiosks and shanties that led to closure of all the small businesses. To me this was a plus since I lived in fear of disease out break and also pain of seeing GSU officers languish in wine and spirits shops, pool table games and a good number of them lose their families to ladies who lay in wait just to fleece off these officers the little they were left with in their pay slips. 

Little did I know that this trend would later be replicated in Kasarani, Mutindwa, Karen shopping center and other areas in the City.  Whereas we must not allow mushrooming of shanties, setting up of businesses along the road without care for safety, occupation of pedestrian walks and bicycle lanes by hawkers in our cities in the name of creating employment, we must not ignore the bigger picture.

Individuals who used to run these small businesses must be taken care of since there is a market that they serve and this goes a long way towards making sure that such folks are able to put food on their tables, pay their bills and also grow our economy. Ignoring their plight is suicidal and it means that petty crime will be on the rise, families will breakdown and even suppliers of these folks will record reduced sales in the long run. Chamas and banks will also be on the losing end as loan default rates will be on the rise. 

Hawker selling handbags in New York

I once traveled to Portland-Oregon and I noted that food kiosks are not banned there but are serviced with power connection, gas, clean water and relevant government agencies ensure that they pose no health risks to those who frequent them. Over the lunch hour, business executives and other folks flock these kiosks for their favorite delicacies and at the end of the day, people are able to earn a living. A quick at New York City reveals that we have hawkers in the streets, bicycle boda bodas and other small businesses not forgetting beggars just like we have in Kenya. What I noted I that they are regulated and there is order to the benefit of all. 

Therefore, we must stop criminalizing poverty in Kenya. We must work towards creating solutions to ensure that anyone willing to make an honest living by running a small business is able to do so, within the law, in a secure and safe environment and above all in a regulated way. Whereas it may not be an easy task, hawkers can be registered and issued with identification numbers/licenses so as to tame ill filtration by thugs and other economic saboteurs who have no care for our country. Certain areas can be designated to sell certain goods for order too. 

Boda boda rider in New York

As a long term measure, we must mercilessly go after all who grabbed public market spaces and initiate public private partnerships to develop such markets and in return give our people space to earn a living without causing them unnecessary trauma.

County government officers, National government officers who sell roadside spaces to cartels who in return let or re sell these spaces to Kenyans who end up losing their structures to demolition squads must be brought to account lest impunity continues.

Certain streets can be set aside within the CBD to allow hawkers sell their wares in an organized and civilized way without subjecting them to cruel county government officers who have in the past been accused of Killing, Maiming, extorting and even confiscating wares just for cash and not to bring sanctity in our cities. 

Whereas market spaces may not be enough, the government can also undertake compulsory acquisition of land where possible or buy off land from individuals for the sake of creating more space for small business men.

The above suggested solutions may not be exhaustive but I honestly think that the current demolitions without providing alternatives will boomerang on us and the long term effect may take us ages to sort them out. 

Meanwhile, the demolitions continue.