A Noble but Onerous Duty

A " Noble and Onerous Duty" is the gripping, real life story of a man who begins his life's long journey in relatively, poor and humble surroundings in Kenya’s spectacular Rift valley region. He is born into a poor family of farm workers in the known “white settlers” farms during the time when Kenya was colonized by Great Britain, and the indigenous people are considered as third class citizens with no few, if any, rights. The way of life is changing gradually but was still deeply rooted in traditional cultures and beliefs. From his humble social- economic background the man struggles through many obstacles. His poor beginnings did not deter him from achieving his ambitious dreams and vision for his life and that of his family. There are no clear steps and guidelines to be followed, but there is trust in God and one’s abilities. His inability to advance his education in the early days of his life due to poverty and deprivation, do not become an insurmountable obstacle to his climb up the sometimes difficult ladder to the very top of his professional and academic careers. Here is a man who starts at the very bottom as a police constable but climbs up through the ranks steadily and with unique determination to the top echelons of the Kenya Police Force as the second senior most Police officer, including the appointment to become the fourth post-independence Director of Criminal investigation Department (CID). Nothing would have inspired the author of this book more than the resilience and resolve when he read about the life of Abraham Lincoln the 16th American President who was born in a one room log cabin to uneducated parents who were ranked subsistence farmers. He was entirely self educated man having received only 18 months of formal schooling to become successful attorney, a State legislator, and above the President of United States of America. In his pursuit of academic excellence this is relentless in seeking to reach his goals. He works hard and accomplishes one feat after the other, finally ending in the well deserved acquisition of a PhD late in his life. The doctorate degree is a fitting tribute to his resilience and total commitment to betterment of all facets of his life. In the book, the author is emphatic in his view that Police forces and other and other security agencies have to be insulated and protected from all forms of political interference, whether there is a change of regimes or not. He relates his experience when is unexpectedly transferred from the mainstream to do civilian work. To him this was “unfamiliar territory” where he felt rather besieged working as a lone ranger in the new set up. He had to start a non-existent unit aimed at controlling the proliferation of small arms and lights weapons from the scratch. His 30 years of building corporate knowledge and skills as senior law enforcement are set aside due political expediency, as often happens in Africa. Based on his illustrious police career and high academic qualifications, however, he manages to transform the non- existent office into a much more respected and internationally highly regarded diplomatic body. Arising from his experiences in small arms diplomacy, the author expresses concern in the book that the African continent has become the preferred dumping ground for small arms and light weapons (SALW)., thus becoming the host to a large number of conflicts. The numerous conflicts between ethnic communities and other groups are often caused by these weapons. In conflict areas for example, small arms transform situations from relatively small skirmishes to violent full scale war. The writing of these memories was prompted by the fact that there has been very little recognition of the work done by police officers who served before the author. In many cases, the knowledge they possessed has been interred with them. At the funerals of two of his predecessors when he served as the Director of Criminal Investigation Department, senior officials of the government who attended their funerals gave glowing tributes for their long and dedicated service. It is when the author therefore decided that society needed to gain something from his years of experience in various public positions. He simply wanted to make a difference. Without doubt and devoid of any exaggeration, the issues covered in this book are relevant not only to the serving police officers but also to anyone who wants guidance on how to achieve what may often seem like impossible dreams. It gives not only the author's personal history, but goes on to provide numerous anecdotes, quotes, experiences, thoughts and life insights. It is a story that both encourages and inspires hope that one can achieve anything with faith and determination.