Missing a military dream

By Edwin Makiche

After unsuccessfully trying to join the armed forces for several years, Rotich was almost giving up and settle for large-scale farming.

He had attended several recruitment interviews but had always lost at the final stages. His height was okay, his dental health superb and he was a fast runner. On his last trial, he had passed all the stages but had been eliminated in the final stage under very controversial circumstances.

He was apparently sent home for having ‘brown’ hair under his armpits.

He was preparing his one-acre shamba for planting when Johny arrived. Johny was a renowned army officer who worked in Nairobi.

A man was summoned from his bed at night by his farm assistant only for him to be killed and his body secretly buried. Photo/ Martin Mukangu/ Standard

In the village no one actually knew what rank he held. But he had always bragged that he was a major. Rotich was surprised by his visit. How could such a rare and important personality visit an ordinary man like him? The man was in his military uniform and carried a white envelope marked ‘Republic of Kenya. Private and Confidential’.

Recruiting cadet officers

He took him aside meaning he had urgent and important information. He explained that he had come all the way from the city to offer him a job. The armed forces were recruiting cadet officers to serve in various capacities. The big fishes in the force had allocated themselves at least three vacancies each. He had been given three. He had given one to his brother-in-law, ‘sold’ the second for Sh500,000 and the remaining was for Rotich.

"Do you want it or I sell it to another serious person?" he asked checking his wristwatch. Rotich said he was willing to take up the offer but he had no such amount of money.

"Hii ndio ugonjwa ya hiki kijiji. Mnataka vitu vya bwerere. Mkono mtupu haulambwi (This is the malady with this village, you only expect free things)," he quipped, acting as if to leave.

Golden opportunity

Rotich could not think of losing such a golden opportunity just like that. He had sought the opportunity many times and now it had just landed in his compound.

This man must have been sent by God! He asked him how much he wanted.

"We sell this position for Sh250,000 but since you are my neighbour and you will buy me beer after you get this job, just bring Sh150,000," he said.

After a lengthy bargaining, they settled for Sh90,000.

Rotich was to pay Sh70,000 the next day when filling in the appointment form and the difference was to be paid when he got the job.

Rotich consulted his family and friends and everyone advised him to go ahead.

"What was the use of having a farm when you had nothing to plant on it? Isn’t it better to have a job that put the money into your pocket at the end of every month," his brother asked him. To raise the money, he sold part of his farm. Since it was on short notice and he was in desperate need of cash, he sold half an acre for only Sh50,000 to an opportunistic neighbour. He topped it up by selling his only cow and a calf to a broker.

Johny arrived the next morning with the forms. They bore the Kenya Army letterhead and government’s emblem. They were to be filled in triplicate. One was to be taken to the military headquarters, one for the ‘file’ and a copy for Rotich to present while reporting to duty. He was to report to the headquarters the following Monday to be booked for training.

Farewell party

"Just say Major John Masaai and I will be there in five minutes. Everyone knows me," he said, putting the money into the pocket. "But do not tell anybody, I don’t want them knocking on my door for jobs."

Before he left, Rotich hosted a farewell party on Sunday. Everybody was happy that he had finally landed his dream job.

He arrived at the gate of military headquarters in time.

When he tried to inquire from a security officer about Johny, the officer told him that he had no information about such an individual. Again there was no recruitment of cadets taking place at that time of the year. He was advised to wait until advertisements for the jobs were placed in newspapers.

When he showed him the ‘appointment form’, he was immediately put under arrest for forgery.

He was told that the police were looking for conmen who extort money from the public pretending they were military officials, therefore, he could assist in investigation. But after pleading with the security officer, he was released.

After hanging there for a while, the officer told him that the only Johny he knew used to sell tea at a kiosk outside the headquarters.

He left knowing that the ‘Major’ had conned him and lived a double life.