Many people associate policemen with cruelty and brutality, but for Sammy Ondimu Ngare, there’s humanity in the police force. His humane actions, which he documents on social media, have earned him huge followers and admirers.
He has become the darling of Kenyans on social media, and those who know him, for his humanitarian activities. He, in fact, has been christened Askari Binadamu (Human police officer), given that most are known to be unapologetic sadists who care less about their subjects.
On his Facebook account Ngare, who is also a singer, has reached the maximum number of friends at 5,000 and a following of more than 40,000, which keeps growing daily especially after his recent act of compasion when he rallied Kenyans to raise Ksh120,000 for a 17-year-old girl who had been abandoned in hospital after giving birth.
A phone call to a police officer is a call for justice, a call for restoration of order, but on May 23rd Ngare received an unusual call – a call for financial help.
“I woke up to a message today from an anonymous source, telling me to visit a lady at Fatima Hospital who has been held there due to lack of funds to settle her bills,” Ngare wrote on Facebook recently. “I passed by there on my way to work. At the hospital I met Esther, the sister in charge who later introduced me to Carol Atieno.”
For Carol Atieno , 17, life was normal until she came to Nairobi to work as a house help, what would mark the genesis of her troubles. Maybe she was seduced by her peers who worked as house helps in Nairobi. Out of naivety, she agreed.
AskariBinadamu, the hashtag Ngare uses on his social media posts to refer to himself, says that Carol comes from Mbita, Homa Bay, and was employed as a house help in Kibera.
“She came to Nairobi as a house help where she was employed in Kibera. It was during that time that she met a young man from Rongai who would later make her pregnant and abandon her at Fatima Hospital, when the doctors were on strike. Carol has been in hospital with her baby boy since then with bills accumulating to Ksh140,000. Part of the bill has been paid by well-wishers but around Ksh120,000 remains unpaid,” posted Ngare on his Facebook page, highlighting the girl’s plight.
RELATED: Kenya’s coolest policeman given national recognition
Kenyans responded promptly, and a day later they had raised more than half the amount required for Carol to be released. “I’m impressed by Kenyans response and friends from abroad. We have like 65k, half of the amount needed,” Ngare wrote in an update.
Askari Binadamu kept updating his followers on the condition of Carol, and they never failed him. Seven days later the noble task was accomplished, earning him more admirers.
“I am exceedingly grateful that for Kenyans of goodwill who stood with me; financially and spiritually. For all the material and moral support. We managed to raise the mount required and as at now I am glad to inform you that her bill was cleared and she is out of hospital well and sound together with her baby. My sincere appreciation to all who rendered their support and as Jesus said, ‘there is no greater love than for someone to lay down his/ her life for a brother’,” Ngare said.
NEXT: 10 bitter truths about SGR that every Kenyan must know
Carol, wishes to be an engineer and is ready to resume her studies. Mr Ngare has promised to help her when the time comes. He set up The Maxfactor Centre in Rongai where he looks after children orphaned by HIV and living with HIV. There has been good progress for the centre. “I have three children in primary school and three in secondary schools,” he says proudly.
Carol has been taken in by the centre in Ongata Rongai as he looks for a sponsor for her education.
The negative perception that the public has of policemen and women unnerves him. Changing this perception is his agenda. “I like to think of myself as the cop with a difference. I do not take bribes. I have never taken a bribe,” he says.
A part from being a police man, he is an artist. He is best known for his hit songs, Askari ni Binadamu as well as Ukabila. Being sociable, he receives so many calls to come to the aid of many civilians.
WATCH HIM IN ACTION AS AN ARTISTE
[efsflexvideo type=”youtube” url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnPTfleMzRY” allowfullscreen=”yes” widescreen=”yes” width=”420″ height=”315″/]
[crp]
It works very well for me