A tray of eggs, a mother’s desperate plea and a helping hand helped set the late Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police Lazarus Simiyu Opicho on the path to a distinguished police career.
It has emerged that Sirende Ward MCA aspirant David Nyongesa Murambi played a crucial role in helping Opicho secure his first job in the Administration Police Service in 1988, after his mother sought his intervention.
Waitaluk Division Assistant County Commissioner Rispah Kiptum revealed the little-known story during Opicho’s burial, lifting the lid on the humble beginnings of a man who rose from working as a farmhand to one of the highest ranks in the police service.
According to Kiptum, Opicho was working for Murambi’s brother-in-law, Mark Wilson Makokha, when his mother, Salome Opicho, approached the aspiring politician for help in securing her son a chance to join the police.
Salome reportedly gave Murambi a tray of eggs to deliver to Makokha, who was travelling to Nairobi aboard Western Peugeot Service (WEPESI), as she pleaded for her son to be considered for recruitment.
The humble gift carried a mother’s hopes for a better future for her son.
“When recruitment was announced, the late came back to Kitale and was recruited,” Kiptum recounted.
She commended Murambi for accepting the gift and intervening on behalf of the young man whose career would eventually take him to the upper echelons of the National Police Service.
For Murambi, the story is more than a fond memory. It is an example of how a single intervention can change the course of a person’s life.
The former teacher said his commitment to opening doors for disadvantaged members of society continued during his tenure as principal of St Philip’s Secondary School in Grassland.
He recalled awarding school construction contracts, cereal supply tenders and building-materials deals to vulnerable members of the community, enabling them to earn an income and improve their livelihoods.
He also helped job seekers secure teaching and non-teaching positions through the school’s Board of Management.
But his support extended beyond employment.
Murambi said he had helped more than 400 students enrol in technical and vocational education and training institutions, giving them a chance to acquire practical skills and improve their employment prospects.
He added that he facilitates at least 15 internship placements annually through public service institutions, county governments and parastatals, helping students gain the work experience needed to compete in the job market.
He also offers free career guidance to students and parents navigating education and employment opportunities.
The MCA aspirant said his efforts were driven by the conviction that people from disadvantaged backgrounds needed someone willing to give them a chance.
Opicho’s journey, he suggested, illustrated the far-reaching impact of such interventions: a young man working on a farm was given an opportunity that ultimately helped launch a career in the police service.
