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Ex-top detective: State has condemned me to untold suffering

 

Former senior detective Jonathan Abraham Chelule, 69, now spends his sunset years in Cheptuech village, Kuresoi South, Nakuru County.

He is no longer the tough detective who dodged bullets and machetes from deadly criminal gangs.

The father of six cuts a figure of a man in pain and sadness, worried about his ill health. He is still waiting to be paid Sh3.1 million in compensation for wrongful dismissal in 2004. 

To add salt to injury, his Sh25,000 pension was discontinued in 2015 after he sued the state. This has deprived him of respect, confidence and self-esteem after an illustrious career spanning nearly 50 years. 

“My retirement is a big anti-climax. My happiness and peace of mind have turned into a nightmare and mental torture. I have sleepless nights,” he said. 

“I have been neglected by a government I defended. I risked my life protecting the citizens from armed criminal gangs, but nobody cares about me."

He recalled an incident where Mungiki attacked a divisional police commander in Nakuru and nearly killed him. “I fought and repulsed the criminals."

Death sentence

For 20 years, Mr Chelule was in charge of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), now the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), at various stations, including Isiolo, Samburu, Kisumu, Kajiado and Nakuru. 

His loyalty to his country was unquestionable. He said he foiled a plot by soldiers in Isiolo to overthrow the government. "I passed the information to relevant government authorities and their plans were neutralised."

Being denied his dues is like an automatic death sentence, he said. The Kenya National Police Service has disobeyed court orders to compensate him.

"I'm diabetic and suffer from high blood pressure. I can't afford drugs. This neglect and denying me my dues have dashed my retirement dreams. I have spent a great deal of my retirement time in the corridors of justice, at Vigilance House, the offices of the director of pensions, and advocates’ offices chasing justice in vain."

This has drained him financially and he cannot pay his bills.

"My two daughters studying medicine in Australia face expulsion as they have tuition fee arrears. I was not prepared for this painful ending. I honestly didn't expect such treatment. The final salute from my employers was retiring me without paying me my dues.

“When I joined the police service in 1974, I didn’t anticipate a moment of pain and agony at the end of the service. I had grand plans after retirement, spending time with my family and enjoying farming. But retiring without a penny is a different matter entirely. The frustration by the government ended those hopes.

Court decision

"I spend sleepless nights wondering when I will be paid. People can't imagine what I'm going through. My family sees my service as a police officer as zero work. Many of my projects have stalled. I'm confused. My head feels like bursting anytime.

"My wife, Alice, who has been my pillar, doesn’t believe I have not been paid my dues."

Alice said her husband has no money to pay for insulin and other medicines. "It is so painful to see your husband ailing as you watch while his dues are being withheld by the same government he served," she said.

Mr Chelule was wrongfully retired and his efforts to get compensation, as ordered by court, have been ignored for nearly 20 years. He was among 57 police officers forced to retire with effect from May 5, 2004, when the government was reorganised and the CID abolished by the Public Service Commission (PSC). 


He moved to court and a judge quashed the retirement order, saying the PSC and the commissioner of police (now Inspector General) had no powers to retire them on the grounds of government reorganisation or the abolishment of an office.

He was reinstated on July 23, 2012, but was again retired on December 19, 2013, against his will as he was 59 and had not attained the mandatory retirement age of 60. Annual appraisal reports from his seniors have no adverse comments on his integrity, attitude, efficiency and effectiveness.

A letter from the National Police Service Commission to the Inspector General and the Director of Pensions asking why his benefits had not been processed remains unanswered.      BY DAILY NATION   

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