Officer: I have many enemies because I don’t take bribes

Corporal David Chumo from Bomet County when he appeared before the Police vetting exercise in Kisumu

David Chumo’s living room is decorated with several framed photos. The fading images immortalise his journey as a policeman; from his recruitment in 1998, to 2017 when he was recognised as the most incorruptible traffic police officer in the country.

“I cannot put in words of how proud I am to be a policeman. I love this job,” he says.

He then leans forward and pulls out a small suitcase from under his chair. When he flings it open, a golden plaque, with his name embossed on it, springs up.

It reads: Awarded for Holding integrity in the public service, selflessness and going beyond the call of duty to promote the rule of law.

The award was given by the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ) also known as the Office of the Ombudsman that recognises outstanding public servants who uphold integrity and diligence in their jobs.

 “I guard this award like a baby,” Chumo says.

He adds that the journey has not been smooth and is filled with resilience, determination and sometimes falling out with his colleagues who feet he is being too rigid, and ‘spoiling’ for them. “Every day, I remind myself that I want to retire with an untarnished image,” he says.

Corporal Chumo, 39, wanted to be a policeman from when he was a boy. An incident that happened when he was about 12 years old solidified his desire to be a cop. “There was this incident of children dying after falling off a lorry they were hanging on. A policeman should have stopped the driver,” he says.

From that day, he resolved to be a policeman – a different kind who will not look aside when atrocities are committed. After high school, he heard about a recruitment in Bomet, his home town. “I did not pay to get in like people imagine every policeman does. I was there by 4am and was chosen,” he says.

After training, he was posted to Wajir, then Keroka, Gatundu, Maragua, Narok, Migori and finally Bomet where he is based.

Received threats

At Narok he came face to face with what he calls the most dangerous side of the job. He would be confronted by poachers and loggers from Mau Forest who were willing to do anything to pass with illegal goods. “They would offer me bribes, and when I turned them down, they threatened me,” he says.

His fight was relentless. In no time, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) had recognised him as one of the people actively involved in preservation of forests and wildlife. In 2015, he stopped poachers on transit to Nairobi from Masai Mara, having stolen giraffe meat in the park. At Maragua, videos of him shaving a homeless man emerged, earning him praises on social media.

Four years ago, when a bus overturned, killing 42 people on impact on Mai Mahiu-Narok road, Chumo was among the first police officers to arrive at the scene. “I got the call at around 3am, and together with two colleagues, we went into the valley. It was traumatising, but our job as the police is to go where others are afraid of stepping into,” he says.

His colleagues, however, feel he is into showbiz. “He is an attention-seeker who wants fame for his good deeds,” said one of his former colleagues who claims Chumo is obsessed with being praised.

Chumo laughs it off, saying he is motivated by the satisfaction he gets from reinforcing the belief that police officers can also be humane. “I didn’t present my name. The public chose me,” he says.

Phoebe Nadupoi, Director of Advocacy and Communication at the Commission of Administrative Justice, says Chumo deserves all the accolades he gets. “You can only do something for show for a short time. Chumo has been consistent,” Nadupoi says.

She explains that the award is given upon nomination by the public, after which, they do thorough vetting.