DCI George Kinoti is without a doubt the face of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. Working behind the scenes is his little-known personal assistant Lawrence Some who ensures the police boss' engagements run smoothly.
After graduating from campus in the year 2000, the now devoted police inspector did not picture himself joining the police service as he got into the matatu business.
Initially having hired a driver for the matatu, Lawrence later opted to drive for himself. He was operating on Nairobi CBD- Zimmerman route 44 for two years.
He would, however, face stiff competition from the newer entrants in the matatu scene as his matatu became rundown due to wear and tear.
"It could not withstand the stiff competition for the majority of youthful passengers who preferred to travel in comfort and style in flashy matatus," he recalled to the DCI magazine.
Lawrence later decided to relocate to the village started operating on the Narok-Kisiriri-Enabelbel route.
In the village, the dilapidated matatu was as good as new and it became the darling of passengers and he returned to the path of making money.
He also had to face off with ruthless matatu cartels and rogue police officers on the road, extorting bribes.
A particular encounter with a police officer ended in a fistfight. He had allegedly been stopped by the officer but after Lawrence tried to bribe him with the usual Ksh 100, the officer refused to take the bribe, he upped the amount to Ksh 500, which the officer still refused. The officer then jumped into the front seat and instructed Lawrence to drive to the station.
Lawrence explained that he knew if he drove to the station he would probably be arrested and his car impounded, he decided to drive off with the officer to an undisclosed location. His trip was cut short by a herd of goats on the road, which gave the officer time to wrestle him. Other matatu operators intervened and the matter was solved with Lawrence explaining that the officer would later become a good friend of his.
Weeks after the incident, he got into an accident that saw the matatu written off, leaving him with minor injuries. He also had to pay off the passengers who had been injured.
Lawrence later got another driver's job on another matatu. While on the job, he was stopped by the officer with whom he had gotten into an altercation months prior.
The officer whom he identified as Samuel, told him to apply for police recruitments at the time.
"If you don't go for the recruitment, I'll arrest you," the officer told him.
He would later in the same day go to apply for the police recruitment. His university qualification gave him an edge over other applicants since this was the first recruitment under then new President Kibaki who had initiated reforms.
He was initially disqualified from becoming a recruit after one of the interviewing officers dismiss him after one physical body check.
"Your hands have a bend. You'll be shooting people with stray bullets if you become a policeman," he recalled the officer's response to him.
However, as he was walking away from the station, another officer identified as Ngatia met him at the gate and would help see him through the interview stages. That is how he was recruited into the police service.
He continued working as a driver until the last day when he reported to Kenya Police College at Kiganjo in Nyeri County.
While at the service, his paths crossed with Kinoti a number of times with their first encounter being at the Central Bank of Kenya where they had been seconded.
"I was later posted to the National Police College at Kiganjo as an instructor. That's where Kinoti found me after he was appointed the DCI and requested me to become his aide," he added.
On recounting his time from a matatu driver to DCI Kinoti's top aide, Lawrence expressed his gratitude for the journey adding that he and Ngatia would later reunite at Nairobi's Jogoo House in April 2021.
"I overcame great odds of an unprivileged childhood to rise to be where I am today. Every time I walk through the streets of Narok and remember the days I slept hungry in the slums, my encounters with traffic police, and the haunted life I lived as a matatu driver, I normally pause to thank God for the amazing deeds he has done to me and my family," he recalled.
