Martin Kago is one of a small percentage of people in the world who are currently living their dreams.
He holds the distinction of being the only Kenyan serving in the Seattle Police Department in the United States.
From Githunguri to Seattle, this is his journey as told by WoK:
Background
Growing up in Githunguri, Martin’s life ambition, like that of many of his peers, was to join either the Kenya Army or Kenya Police.
In a recent interview, he said that his first attempt to join the Kenya Defence Forces hit a brick wall. However, he gained solace from the fact that many other interested candidates were also unsuccessful.
His second attempt to join the Kenya police was more painful.
Martin passed the first recruitment stages, and he was hopeful that he would beat the few applicants remaining. His family and neighbours even began celebrating his success.
Unfortunately, he was rejected at the final stage. To this day, he believes that his position was improperly awarded to another candidate.
Disappointed, he relocated to America.
A Difficult Beginning in New Jersey
Martin’s first stop in America was in New Jersey, where he found himself without friends or a job.
Although he arrived in September, his green card did not arrive until late October. He spent weeks at home before he found a job on November 26.
His first job involved making sandwiches, which was not what he had imagined doing in America.
He also experienced the challenge of having to depend on other people for money, having been used to making his own money in Kenya.
After one year of struggling in America, he decided to travel back to Kenya for a month to rest and think about his future.
He called it going home “to recharge.”
Connections That Changed His Plans
After going back to America, Martin joined a Kenyan community where he made friends and learned about the available jobs.
Some of them recommended that he join the American military or police, and he thought it was a good idea, since it was also a route to becoming a permanent American citizen.
He successfully joined the US military and also pursued a career as a police officer in the US.
After completing military basic training, he proceeded to advanced individual training, known as AIT, which ended in January.
He also attended a police recruitment physical test on the same day he completed AIT.
“I never got either, but when I moved over here I had the chance to pursue both,” he said. “I’m in the Army, and I’m also an officer.”
Challenges of Police Training
Martin said that training to become a police officer entailed learning departmental policies, meeting with communities, and learning what residents expected from officers.
At the academy, he also learned defensive tactics, how to handle aggressive suspects, and how to respond to difficult situations.
“They throw so much at you in a very short time,” he said.
Communication was also a challenge, since officers were required to listen, ask questions, and try to calm situations before deciding whether someone should be arrested.
Luckily, he made two black friends, one of whom described him as a brother and said he was excited to see him begin his career in Seattle.
Representing Kenya
Martin said he was proud to represent Kenya and hoped Kenyan immigrants would feel comfortable speaking to him in uniform.
“As an immigrant, I feel good representing where I come from, representing my people, and myself,” he said.
He has now been living in the US for more than three years.
He now feels thankful that he was not successful in joining the Kenyan military.
“I thank God that it never happened,” he said. “I can say I overcame it and it’s good that it happened.”
He also acknowledged that graduating was only the beginning of his police career.
“I feel so excited to have accomplished this,” he said. “I’m still going to be learning more.”