mzeiya
Elder Lister
A National Police Service officer who had been declared a deserter after missing from work since January has resurfaced. Constable Rueben Kimutai Lel had been comatose at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) for 9mths+ without the knowledge of his family or friends.
A warrant of arrest was issued in January at the Makadara Law Courts after Mr Kimutai failed to return to work after going on leave in December last year.
Mr Kimutai, who was stationed at Jogoo Road Police Station, had been seconded to the Judiciary as an orderly at the Makadara Law Courts.
The constable, who joined the service in 1984, had planned to travel to his rural home while on leave. He was to return to work on January 9 but did not do so.
According to the National Police Service Act, any officer who absents himself from duty without an acceptable reason for 10 days is deemed to have deserted from the service.
After a search for Constable Kimutai – which included enquiring on his whereabouts from his family – failed to yield any fruit, a formal report declaring him a deserter was filed on January 19. The officer was then charged in absentia and a warrant of arrest promptly issued.
The police were ordered to look for Mr Kimutai and present him before a magistrate on March 22. Unable to find their colleague by the set date, the police asked for more time. They were given a new date of October 12, when the matter was to come up in court again.
Meanwhile, the National Police Service began the process of striking Mr Kimutai’s name from its payroll since no one could locate where he was. However, unknown to the government and his family, Constable Kimutai was all this time at KNH.
He had been involved in a hit-and-run accident on Jogoo road in Nairobi on December 20, just a few days after proceeding on leave. His skull was badly fractured in the incident and he had no identification documents on him.
His mobile phone and wallet were apparently stolen by the first responders. It was not immediately established where he had first been taken to after the accident, as he was taken to KNH the next day while still unconscious.
And since he could not talk, he was registered as Augustine Neto and immediately wheeled into the intensive care unit (ICU) to begin treatment.
According to sources at KNH, the patient started regaining consciousness towards the end of last month. Although he had not yet recovered fully, he said his name was Rueben Kimutai Lel and that he was a police officer.
Although he hadn’t fully regained his memory, he identified a niece who lives in Makadara and a search for the niece and the officer’s other relatives began.
Meanwhile his family has been contacted and arrangements are being made to reinstate his name to the National Police Service payroll.
Courtesy: Nation Prime
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