OFF TO MID COURSE BREAK AND LIFE AFTER MAGADI FIELD TRAINING

After being given permission to  proceed  for mid course break, i woke up the following day, so early, got prepared, picked some few photographs so as to use them to explain to my family, friends and relatives of what I was going through and may be they would get a rough idea of what life at the training school was like as was captured in the photos.

Having visited this part of the country for the first time in my life, commuting from Embakasi could not have been easy. Luckily, the training school management had put in some arrangements with Citti Hoppa bus company to come up to the Training school gate hence we were picked from there and dropped  in the town center. How I got to Tea room, where I picked a matatu to Kerugoya remains unclear but thanks God, I got home.

On alighting from the stage, in my home town, I realized that things had changed. 'My statu's had changed in that those who never cared to say hi when I was a butcher, had a reason to do so. Those who never knew me before joining GSU Training school were made to know me by my friends; those who thought that I was on a full salary could also dare demand for some few coins for soda and tea. Young men of my age could ask for some few coins for ‘removing lock’ which means a bottle or two to beat the early morning hangover.

There were mixed expressions from different people but all in all, I was the first from my immediate village to join the General Service Unit hence had to answer so many questions on the same. There were so many myths about this Unit hence I spent the one week break trying to demystify them which was not easy as I had not known all about GSU in and out. The one week break elapsed so fast having been one that I was trying to catch up with most of my friends and also visit my extended family members who lived elsewhere.

After the expiry of the break, I later boarded a Matatu to Nairobi and was directed to Embakasi stage  by the conductor without wasting a minute lest I got lost or even mugged. I boarded the next moving vehicle that took me up to GSU Training School gate in Embakasi. I alighted and joined my colleagues for the last leg of training. The evening was characterized by each of us narrating a story of what that week outside the training school gate was all about and one similarity was that the break was much needed and was a fruitful one in search of ‘finishing power’.  It was soon time to retire to bed that I really had waited for.

After nightfall, we woke up and got ready to start the days activities. Were invited for a brief meeting by the officer commanding junior training wing Mr Kodi who made it clear that it was time to start fine tuning matching drills in readiness for the big day, the pass out parade.  This would later see us spending much of the remaining time at the drill square so as to ensure that we would not be the first batch of recruits to lower parade standard as  the GSU is well known for a well organized and almost perfect parade and in our case, we never let the standards drop not even an inch lower!

Days passed on faster than usual as we were rarely mis treated as was the norm before and after some time, our counterparts who Joined Police Training College Kiganjo passed out. This was a pointer that our day was close  too! It is worth noting that this last session was not very difficult as we were treated with some degree of dignity and the all time nasty instructors had engaged a low gear and could now sit with us and reason with us too. This was a much needed moment as for once, i enjoyed life inside the training school to some extent.

Some weeks to the big day, i was called at the Junior training wing office and handed over a letter that came from Kenya Institute of Studies in Criminal Justice. I had been called upon to study a higher diploma in forensic science and Criminology. To me, this came early enough and in time as I translated it to mean that I would be posted at the training school or at a station/camp within Nairobi so as to start my studies. This was not to come as on enquiring, I was informed that I would be posted anywhere irrespective of this letter but was advised to officially apply for permission to study once I got there. (This permission would never be granted…..!)

Putting that behind and not losing the whole picture. I swallowed the bitter pill and still never lost faith that one day, I would graduate with a degree irrespective of any existing and forthcoming obstacle. We were later informed that on 10/09/2005, we were to pass out and hence required to communicate this to our family and friends. The Big day became a reality and as early as 0300Hrs in the morning, families, friends and relatives had started trooping in. By six in the morning we were in our ceremonial attire and ready to ‘Ice Our Cake’ after months of baking it!

We did our parade, took the oath, listened to speeches, dis missed from the parade, returned the G3 rifles used during the parade to the amoury and then time to meet those who had come to celebrate the big occasion with us came. I was and will forever remain grateful to the Lord. I was visited by so many. Young and Old, male and female but also guess that nay Sayers also came in to confirm whether I had completed the training or it was just a PR exercise. To their shock, I had done it!

They brought with them cash and non cash prizes, words of advice and encouragement and one lady named Rose Kinyua, who is  my neighbor had made me two delicious cakes that really made the occasion be more colorful. I also thank Mum for being so well organized as she was accompanied by a large number of friends who were never ashamed of expressing pride in a son of one of their own! We sang, danced and had merry.

I was also advised on so many matters and on this day, one uncle of mine, Mr Gachoki told me something that backed my long time desire to undertake further studies. He told me that it was time that I took it upon my self and enrolled for part time studies now that it was possible to do so. The day was superb and must admit that it was one of the most memorable days of my life. Time passed on so fast and  soon, it was 1700Hrs. Visitors were required to leave and we were left behind so as to be informed of our posting. 

The posting list would later be made available and read to us . I was posted to GSU Miti Mbili Camp in Kitale. This was located some few kilometers from the Kenya Uganda Boarder. We were granted our annual leave, left our luggage at Embakasi where we would later be picked and taken to our work stations. To God be the Glory that I gotten to this point after what I would say was 9 Months plus that changed me into the officer that I am today from a ‘raia’ that I was before 28/12/2004!