5 years gone, traffic officer voted as best civil servant yet to be promoted

Today marks five years since incorruptible cop; Corporal David Chumo was named a civil servant of the year.

The Ombudsman award is normally for public servants with outstanding performances.

During the third edition of the ceremony in 2017, Chumo, who was based in Bomet at that time, was selected among other top civil servants.

The Commission of Administrative Justice awarded the traffic policeman as the winner, in the individual category, of the 2017 Ombudsman Huduma Awards.

He was feted for “upholding integrity in public service, selflessness and going beyond the call of duty to promote the rule of law,” as the plaque he received stated.

Despite the award, Chumo has also received another presidential award -The Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW) -during National Mashujaa Day 2018.

Others who were awarded include Olivia Obel, assistant commissioner of Prisons in charge of Lang'ata Women Maximum Prison was second after Chumo and Jenniffer Wangari, a senior Children officer with the Ministry of East African Community Labour and Social protection was third and has since been promoted.

Also, the former Rift-Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya, who was then the county commissioner of Isiolo, was feted.

Obel was awarded for bringing great developments and making women’s stay at the correctional facility comfortable and friendly.

The event was graced by then-Attorney General Githu Muigai during the ceremony.

During the inaugural Huduma award in 2014, President Uhuru Kenyatta said that only those public servants who deliver are rewarded by promotion or career progression in the civil service and those who are not committed are weeded out to make room for other Kenyans who are so inclined to serve.

During his service in Narok county, he received three commendations from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and two commendations from good work for Kenya Forest Service (KFS).

The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) honoured Chumo with the award issued by Deliverance Kenya Bishop Mark Kariuki in Nakuru in August 2018.

In 2017, the officer impressed the National Police Service vetting panel led by then-chairman Johnstone Kavuludi in Kisumu.

He showed how he went beyond the call of his duties to assist the less fortunate in society and help in fighting poaching and conserving the environment, especially the Mau forest.

Chumo, who is currently based in Kisii county, has now set a record in the National Police Service for being the first police officer in Kenya to be the public servant of the year.

Nominated MP David ole Sankok had written to the then Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet requesting him to promote this officer to a senior position.

“The work done by this officer is enough for him to be promoted, what else is the National Police Service looking for from him to be recognized? Asked Sankok.

He added that public servant officers from other government departments who were with Chumo during the fete, have all been promoted to senior positions but the officer’s work has not been recognized by the National Police Service since that award.

In 2019, Chumo impressed thousands of fans who turned up for the Churchill show Narok edition held at Narok stadium after displaying the numerous awards he won since having joined the National Police Service in 1998.

Daniel Ndambuki alias Churchill called upon the parliament to push Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi, National Police Service chairman Eliud Kinuthia and then Inspector General of police to promote such officers according to the merit of their work.

“Recognizing such officers will motivate them because junior officers have been wondering why when their performance is good, nobody bothers to promote but when they are on the wrong side of the law, their bosses are quick to discipline them,” he said.

Narok-based environmentalist Robinson Torome called on the Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai and his deputy Edward Mbugua to look upon the officer’s commitment to serving Kenyans and urgently consider promoting him as per the order of the head of state.