This archive report was first published on 12 May 2021.
From Matatu Driver to DCI Kinoti's Most Crucial Aide ¶
Inspector Lawrence Some, a devoted police inspector, has an extraordinary story of rising from being a matatu driver to becoming the personal assistant to DCI George Kinoti. His journey began in the year 2000 after graduating from campus.
Initially, Lawrence got into the matatu business, hiring a driver for his matatu. However, he later opted to drive for himself, operating on the Nairobi CBD-Zimmerman route 44 for two years. Unfortunately, his matatu became rundown due to wear and tear, and he faced stiff competition from newer entrants in the matatu scene.
Lawrence recalled to the DCI magazine, '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 later decided to relocate to the village and started operating on the Narok-Kisiriri-Enabelbel route. In the village, his dilapidated matatu was as good as new, and it became the darling of passengers, allowing him to return to making money.
However, Lawrence 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. Lawrence explained that he knew if he drove to the station, he would probably be arrested and his car impounded, so he decided to drive off with the officer to an undisclosed location.
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 and was stopped by the officer with whom he had gotten into an altercation months prior.
The officer, Samuel, told him to apply for police recruitments, saying, 'If you don't go for the recruitment, I'll arrest you.' Lawrence 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.
Lawrence was initially disqualified from becoming a recruit after one of the interviewing officers dismissed him after one physical body check. However, another officer, Ngatia, met him at the gate and helped him through the interview stages, and he was eventually 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.
Lawrence expressed his gratitude for the journey, saying, '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.'
