A Noble but Onerous Duty: An Autobiography by Former Director of Criminal Investigation Department (Cid)

By Dr. Francis K. Sang CBS

From a humble beginning as a son of employees in white settlers farms in the central
Rift Valley, Dr Francis K. Sang overcame many odds to rise through the ranks of
the Kenya Police and become the 4th Kenyan Director of the Criminal Investigation
Department. He served in this position for 4 years before he was transferred to
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after the changeover of government in Kenya at the end of
2002.
He was tasked with the establishment of the Nairobi Secretariat to coordinate issues
to do with small arms in the region. This he did and later helped transform the secretariat
into the Regional Centre for Small Arms (RECSA), a regional inter-governmental body that
coordinates activities aimed at controlling and reducing the proliferation of small arms and
light weapons in the Eastern Africa, Great Lakes and Horn of Africa region and bordering
states.
In this autobiography, he relates his experiences, from the difficult circumstances
surrounding his birth and childhood, his struggles to get an education in spite of the many
obstacles that he faced and his experiences in the police force, particularly in the Criminal
Investigation Department (CID) during the tenure of the 2nd President of Kenya, Daniel
arap Moi. He also relates his experiences after the NARC Government took over in 2002 and
sent most senior security offi cers in the former government packing, either on retirement or
on transfer to other less prestigious positions.
He further relates how, through determination, he has been able to achieve his academic
dreams which had been deferred earlier in his life owing to financial constraints, culminating
in the acquisition of a PhD late in life. He also speaks about the role his family has played in
enabling him to achieve all he has in his life. Reflecting on his long journey that has brought
him to the place where he is today, the author also gives a number of insights on his work
and life.
This autobiography should serve as interesting reading to the general public as well as
to persons serving in the disciplined forces, considering that it is the first from amongst
persons that have served in the police force and risen through the ranks to the very top.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Mar 21, 2013
• ISBN: 9781481785839

Dr. Francis K. Sang CBS

From a humble beginning as a son of employees in white settlers’ farms in the central Rift Valley, Dr Francis K. Sang overcame many odds to rise through the ranks of the Kenya Police and become the 4th Kenyan Director of the Criminal Investigation Department. He served in this position for 4 years before he was transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after the changeover of government in Kenya at the end of 2002. He was tasked with the establishment of the Nairobi Secretariat to coordinate issues to do with small arms in the region. This he did and later helped transform the secretariat into the Regional Centre for Small Arms (RECSA), a regional inter-governmental body that coordinates activities aimed at controlling and reducing the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the Eastern Africa, Great Lakes and Horn of Africa region and bordering states. In this autobiography, he relates his experiences, from the diffi cult circumstances surrounding his birth and childhood, his struggles to get an education in spite of the many obstacles that he faced and his experiences in the police force, particularly in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) during the tenure of the 2nd President of Kenya, Daniel arap Moi. He also relates his experiences after the NARC Government took over in 2002 and sent most senior security offi cers in the former government packing, either on retirement or on transfer to other less prestigious positions. He further relates how, through determination, he has been able to achieve his academic dreams which had been deferred earlier in his life owing to fi nancial constraints, culminating in the acquisition of a PhD late in life. He also speaks about the role his family has played in enabling him to achieve all he has in his life. Refl ecting on his long journey that has brought him to the place where he is today, the author also gives a number of insights on his work and life. This autobiography should serve as interesting reading to the general public as well as to persons serving in the disciplined forces, considering that it is the fi rst from amongst persons that have served in the police force and risen through the ranks to the very top.

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© 2013 by Dr. Francis K. Sang, CBS. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 03/20/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4817-8582-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-8581-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-8583-9 (e)

Dr. Francis K. Sang asserts the moral right to be identifi ed as the author of this book.

Cover Design & Layout by Rosalia Mumo Kinyua

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

DEDICATION

FOREWORD

PREFACE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

Chapter 1      HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Chapter 2      THE JOURNEY OF MY EDUCATION COMMENCES

Chapter 3      THE KENYA POLICE FORCE

Chapter 4      WISDOM FROM THREE PREDECESSORS

Chapter 5      THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DEPARTMENT

Chapter 6      PROFESSIONALIZING THE CID

Chapter 7      SURVIVING REGIME CHANGE

Chapter 8      DIPLOMATIC MISSION

Chapter 9      RECSA

Chapter 10      INSIGHTS FROM POLICE WORK

Chapter 11      PERSPECTIVES FROM SMALL ARMS DIPLOMACY

Chapter 12      MY FAMILY

Chapter 13      LIFE INSIGHTS

REFERENCES

ENDNOTES

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to both my father Mzee Paul Barchok and my late mother Mama Mary Barchok whose inability to go to school did not stop them from imbuing in me a sense of the value of education. Without them, I would not have been who I am today.

To my dearest wife Esther, your inspiration and encouragement helped me overcome numerous challenges on the long and rough journey towards the attainment of our cherished dreams.

To all my beloved children, you have made me stronger and more fulfilled in my life.

FOREWORD

I first became acquainted with the author of this book when I was unexpectedly appointed to be the Head of Kenya’s Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet on 23rd July, 1999. Kenya’s now retired President Arap Moi appointed me to head a small team of rather senior technocrats drawn from the private sector, who would attempt to steer Kenya into better economic and governance conditions. We were to work largely with the human resources already in place. The Director of Kenya’s Criminal Investigation Department was a man who I wanted and needed to know. From the beginning I took a liking for him and although we did not meet frequently, the chemistry was good in our relationship.

This writer, to my knowledge, is not the ordinary author. He is the very first former police officer-turned-diplomat in Kenya, and perhaps the entire eastern African region, to write a book of this kind. His insights are a revelation to all who seek to dedicate their lives to the service of their fellow human beings, their nations and society in general.

His humble socio-economic background notwithstanding, he climbed up the often difficult ladder of both career and academic advancement. This inborn determination eventually brought phenomenal success in his life, even when there were struggles and miraculous survival feats from political and other intrigues.

Starting from the lowest ranks in the Kenya Police Force to become the second most senior police officer in Kenya is a remarkable achievement for anyone. The progress to the apex of his career in the Kenya Police was crowned through his appointment to become the fourth post-independence Director of Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

During his long career in the police service, the author was known throughout the force as a humble but highly focused person whose rise to the top echelons of his profession was almost inevitable. The great determination to succeed in both his police career and the academic field was easily discernible to his superiors and he climbed steadily to the very top echelons of the Kenya Police. His academic pursuit was relentless as he accomplished one feat after the other, finally ending in the much deserved acquisition of a Doctorate degree.

The author started his diplomatic career rather unexpectedly after being transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to start a hitherto non-existent unit aimed at controlling the proliferation of illegal small arms and light weapons in the region. His corporate knowledge and skills as a senior law enforcement officer were to be set aside for political expediency, as often happens. Despite the initial skepticism and even some hostility from peers and colleagues about his being able to do the new job, the author’s foresight and determination again shone through. He was able to establish an office for small arms and light weapons for Kenya before the signing of the Nairobi Protocol by several countries in Eastern Africa, the Great Lakes region and the Horn of Africa transformed it into the Regional Centre for Small Arms (RECSA).

Based on his illustrious police career and high academic qualifications, this author was appointed as the first chief executive of RECSA, which he headed and transformed into a much respected and internationally highly regarded regional body dealing with both practical and policy matters relating to the control of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

During his tenure as Director of CID, the author brought about numerous reforms and improvements within the Department ranging from the recruitment of better educated and more qualified personnel to the purchase of new equipment and acquisition of new buildings. He repeatedly showed his determination to leave the CID a much better law enforcement agency than he had found it.

In these memoirs, the author explains that more than ever before, crimes are more difficult to solve as perpetrators of such acts become more sophisticated by taking advantage of available new technologies to evade detection. He urges governments to take the matter seriously and provide more resources to law enforcement agencies. His point of view is vindicated by the fact that concern has been expressed in the past by several experts, who believe that police authorities around the world and more so in the developing countries have often been left in awkward positions with regard to control of modern crimes.

As a former top civil servant of the Government of Kenya, I also share this author’s honest opinion that it has now become imperative that police forces around the world change both their strategies and tactics in order to become more effective against emerging crime challenges with international dimensions. In this century new developments in criminal activity have made it crucial to develop more technology-based and efficient means of fighting crime.

The author is emphatic in his view that police forces and other security agencies have to be protected from all forms of political interference since this often prevents them from providing their mandatory services. I strongly share the same opinion, that security forces cannot operate effectively if political leanings are allowed to color their view. Insulation of police services and other security organs of the government from political influence and control is an important factor in enabling these public law enforcement agencies and their officers to operate in a freer and more conducive environment. Regime changes should never be the reason for the disruption of the services of career police officers.

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 a host to a large number of conflicts. It is now undoubtedly the continent that suffers most from the damaging consequences of the SALW scourge. The proliferation of SALW may be the main reason why many people on the African continent have come to refer to them as weapons of mass destruction as a result of their devastating effects, which are far worse than the calamities caused by the tanks, artillery or aircraft usually associated with modern warfare.

It is my sincere opinion that this book is a must read not only for those who are currently serving as police officers but also for anyone who wants some 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 the insights of others he came into contact with throughout his long career.

In conclusion, I can only urge other Kenyans to follow the shining example of this distinguished son, father, police officer, diplomat, public servant and, above all, patriotic Kenyan citizen.

Richard Leakey, FRS

Former Head of Civil Service & Secretary to the Cabinet

Professor of Anthropology

State University of New York, Stony Brook

PREFACE

Abraham Lincoln,¹ who is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest Presidents in the history of the United States of America said; nothing in this world is impossible to a willing heart. True to that wise saying, there is virtually no limitation to what one can achieve through discipline and determination when one sets his or her mind and heart to reach desired goals. It is my firm conviction that, no matter what kind of socio-economic challenges or instability in life people face at the beginning of the long journey, they alone can determine or make a choice as to how their lives will look like in the future. Nothing at all can prevent a person from making it through the narrow and often treacherous path of life and eventually discovering their own destiny. As Gloria Steinem², a renowned writer, feminist organizer, journalist, editor and lecturer wisely said, The model of success is not linear. Success is completing the full circle of yourself.

It is my hope that these memoires I have endeavored to put together will inspire many of you who may have lost hope in your lives believing that you have reached a dead end on the road to success. The book is designed to motivate you to never, ever succumb to the pangs of despair in life. There is an old adage that says that if one road is blocked, there is always another one next to you that will lead you to your desired destination.

As a career police officer, it is also my desire to make people aware of the challenges that are ordinarily encountered by these devoted servants of the public in the discharge of their duties. This is an honest attempt to share with you the numerous dangers and risks faced on a day to day basis by these dedicated men and women as they discharge their noble but onerous duty as police officers with little appreciation from the societies they serve.

What prompted me to write these memoires was the fact that there has been very little recognition of the work done by many public servants, especially police officers, who have served in the force before me. In many cases, the knowledge they possessed has often been interred with them. Due to the lack of proper channels to impart knowledge and experience to others, much valuable work has gone to waste and disappeared almost unnoticed.

At the funerals of two of my predecessors at the Criminal Investigation Department, I noticed that there were glowing tributes for their long service, the work they did and the knowledge they possessed. It was an eye opener for me that society had to gain something from my years of experience in various public positions. I simply wanted to make a difference.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to acknowledge and thank all those who made important contributions to the writing of this book. My first acknowledgement goes to the former President of Kenya Daniel Toroitich arap Moi whose inspiration and support were invaluable in my career especially when I worked under him as the Director of the Criminal Investigation Department.

My gratitude also goes to Dr. Richard Leakey, the Former Head of Civil Service & Secretary to the Cabinet in President Moi’s regime and currently Professor of Anthropology, State University of New York, Stony Brook, for accepting to write the foreword to this book.

I have no words to express my gratitude to my two predecessors at the CID the late Peter Okola and Noah arap Too for allowing me to interview them on their experiences as the directors of this important branch of the Kenya Police after their retirement.

I sincerely thank Kenneth Kisivuli, who previously worked with me at the CID and who is now based in the USA, for carrying out in-depth research on the history of the Criminal Investigation department on my behalf.

I would like to thank my great friend Booker Mbugua for his consistent moral encouragement in the writing of this book.

Special thanks go to my Personal Secretary Judy Avunah for her immense support especially on the type setting and the arrangement of the book.

Much gratitude goes to the lead editor Lynnette Kariuki and Mike Ngwalla for their professional advice and polishing the manuscript, Margy Koech for proof-reading it and Rosalia Mumo Kinyua for designing this book. Many thanks also go to Sang Il Lee of Beautiful Life Photo House for the photographic work.

I wish also to thank Author House in United Kingdom for accepting to publish yet another book for me.

Finally, to all those not mentioned here whose contribution made it possible for me to write this book, please accept my sincere appreciation.

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

1

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

We all come from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds often saddled with countless setbacks, failures and disappointments. This notwithstanding, it is important for us to appreciate first that these challenges cannot be overcome without individual self-drive and determination. As the common saying goes, you alone must set up your goals in order to achieve your cherished dreams. It is not the size or the number of goals that you have to set that matter, but the little steps and the achievements made in the long journey of life.

At the start of my long journey, coming from a very humble background, there were numerous obstacles which began with the early story of my father, Mzee Paul Barchok and his young family, who had to relocate from their ancestral home to the white highlands farms in search of employment as a means of livelihood. This migration took place in the 1950s, some years before I was born.

My father’s age mates would sarcastically tell those who were employed in the farms of the white settlers that masacheek, or skimmed milk, had brain-washed their minds causing them to forget their homes of origin. Skimmed milk is a by-product of whole milk from which the cream has been removed to produce butter or ghee.

The milk by-products together with maize flour, then known as posho, were given to employees by white settler farmers for their sustenance. This was because the indigenous employees were not allowed to cultivate any crops or keep any domestic animals in the farms. The employees were only allowed by the white settlers to keep pets such as dogs or cats. These pets often proved quite useful to the employees for hunting game animals and killing pests such as rats.

The white settlers did not allow any of their employees to keep other potentially profitable domestic animals such as cattle or sheep because they believed that the workers would enrich themselves and resign from employment. Another reason was the fear of native breeds, going by the derogatory name kisienchi, spreading infectious diseases to the pedigree animals of the white farmers. The native animals were highly resistant to most diseases.

It is not the size or the number of goals that you have to set that matter, but the little steps and the achievements made in the long journey of life.

The attitude of the white settlers towards indigenous people is well documented by Caroline Elkins³ in her book Imperial Reckoning. She paints a gloomy picture that reveals how Africans were mistreated by the white farmers. The settlers were convinced that they had the moral obligation to redeem the so called backward heathens of this world because they believed that there was nothing noble about the African savage.

The white man’s understanding at the time was that Africans were biologically inferior, with smaller brain sizes, a limited capacity to feel pain or emotion, and even different nutritional needs, requiring only a bowl of maize meal, or posho, to maintain their health. I am one of the children of the employees of white settler farmers who grew up in these farms and witnessed the provision of posho and masacheek by the European farmers to the employees for their sustenance.

I vividly remember