Nairobi News

An Administration Police officer has won accolades for his gesture of saving a motor cyclist injured in a road accident, keeping his personal belongings including money and handing them over to his next of kin.

This was even after the victim had slipped into a coma for weeks.

Constable Anthony Mtelema has served in the Security of Government Buildings Unit for five years and has extended such gestures many times, he has even lost count.

On a Sunday morning while at his station off Nanyuki Road in Industrial Area, he witnessed a road accident that left the victim, Benson Maina, with serious head injuries.

Mr Maina, an employee of Yana Tyre Centre, was riding  motorcycle when the accident occured mid last year.

“He (Benson) was riding on a motorcycle when he hit a barrier and fell about 10 metres away. We were with my fellow officers and we immediately rushed towards him and tried to stop the bleeding as we called Kenya Red Cross for ambulance,” said Constable Mtelema during an interview with Nairobi News.

CARRYING MONEY

While the officers put to use their basic first aid skills to stop the bleeding, they noticed that Benson was carrying Ksh6, 500.

“We kept the money and his personal documents safely and called a member of his family who was saved on his phone as his sister.  We told her to notify Benson’s wife to meet us at the hospital,” he narrated.

When the ambulance arrived at the scene of the accident,  the Constable accompanied them to Kenyatta Hospital because he intended to handover the money and documents to the victim’s next of kin.

Benson’s wife and brother met him at the hospital where Constable Mtelema explained what had transpired and handed over the personal effects.

“He was in a comma for three weeks and when he finally woke up and his wife explained what had happened to him, he requested to meet me and I honored his request and went to visit him at the hospital,” said Constable Mtelema.

GREAT FRIENDS

The two have since become great friends . When Benson was discharged from hospital, he invited the officer to a thanksgiving party attended by his family and friends.

For Constable Mtelema, his act was in line with his employer’s expectation based on the oath he took; to protect and serve all Kenyan citizens.

“Our motto and work ethics call for honesty and even for community policing we are required to earn the trust of the wananchi for them to be able to volunteer information. Officers are not thieves but protectors,” he said.

Asked if he was ever tempted to pocket the money recovered from the victim, he insisted that for him it was about protecting the victim and his belongings.

“From our police training, we are obliged to protect the common mwananchi and not enrich ourselves from such incidents. I am happy that he got well and I feel good that I did my work of serving Kenyans,” he added.

For Benson, his realization that his life was saved by a police officer made him view the men in uniform differently.

“I used to fear officers thinking that they will always find a fault that will lead to my arrest. I know trust them more and even when am stopped by traffic police I communicate with them without any fear or intimidation,” he said.

Constable Mtelema is also part of a charitable group dubbed “Friends of Goodwill” who donate personal effects and visit children with albinism.

“We visited St Lucy’s Igoji, where a friend who has albinism schooled and when we saw the need for support we created a Facebook group to support children with albinism and carried out an event on April 4 where we spend time with the children and made donations,” he said.