By KPC Reporter
When Jack Matara, popularly known as Askari ni Rafiki is given a chance to sing during public meetings in Gusii region, he gives it his all.
Matara who is a police officer uses his talent to preach the gospel and make friends.
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His signature line, Askari ni Rafiki (a police officer is your friend) is meant to encourage citizens to see policemen as friends and not enemies.
He came up with this idea because a majority of Kenyans know police officers for their combative, ruthless, brute and unfriendly demeanor.
Most Kenyans evade any interaction with a police officer as they go about their everyday errands, unless the encounter is very necessary.
The overriding notion is that police officers would always have an unsettling question for one the moment their paths cross.
Indeed, secular singer Ken Razy through the now defunct Grandpa records once immortolised this behaviour of the Kenyan police in a song titled , ‘Uko na maswali mengi, kwani we ni polisi?’
This loosely translates to, ‘You have many questions, are you a police office?’
The Gen Z protests against government last year also served as a reminder that police officers are to a large extent brutal following how violently they cracked down protesters leading to deaths and grievous injuries.
Changing the image
The foregoing notwithstanding, Matara has been out, pushing so hard through his actions, to demonstrate that a police officer can also a friend.
Matara who hails from Nyamira County was employed as a police officer in 2012 and has since used his career and talent to advocate for the rights of his colleagues and the community they serve through his award winning music career.
He also doubles up as an activist and through the proceeds of his music and donations from colleagues and friends, Matara is often involved in charity work where he supports vulnerable girls and boys.
“I also run an annual football tournament whose aim is to keep teenagers and youth back in my village busy over the December holidays,” Matara says.
Difficult past
Matara who is the fourth born in a family of 10 says that his tough upbringing inspired his willingness to help young people in vulnerable situations.
“My family was extremely poor. My initial schooling was supported by someone that I was working for as a farm hand,” he told KPC.
“However, I could not proceed to secondary school. Instead, I worked as a shepherd in people’s homes for a wage.”
Matara said that it was his fifth employer, where he worked as a houseboy, who heeded to his request to have the wages paid as his school fees.
By the time he was joining form one, his friends whom he had left in Class 8 were already in Form three.
Nevertheless, that did not dampen his hopes.
Upon finishing form four, Matara worked as a matatu tout and latter offered unskilled labour at construction sites in Nairobi.
Turning point
“It was then that I heard that there was to be a recruitment of police officers at Nyayo stadium. I availed myself and I was lucky. I am a testimony that you can be employed without giving a bribe,” said Matara.
As a police officer, he effectively became the sole breadwinner back home and also re-launched his music career which had begun with a rudimentary guitar while he was in primary school.
Even so, he saw the need to extend a helping hand to many more youth who were wasting away in his village.
“In the village set up where I grew, one is introduced to alcohol at a very tender age. When I became an officer, I decided to start a tournament that runs across December with the first one having happened in 2014,” he said.
It has since become an annual event.
However, they skipped 2019 and 2020 due to the coronavirus related lockdowns.
Music career
Matara launched his first gospel music album in 2014, with one of the songs titled ‘Askari ni Rafiki’ winning a Social Awareness Song of the Year at the Gasu Awards.
Two of his other songs titled ‘Ninajua Mungu Mkuu’ and ‘Mambia mbokie buya’ (Tomorrow must be greater than today), won awards as Gospel Songs of the year 2016 and 2020, respectively.
“The first album was well received and I have always channeled proceeds from the awards to charity,” he says.
Giving back
Matara has been distributing sanitary pads to school going girls in Kisii and Nyamira counties for some time.
He has also sponsored many mentorship programs within the same areas, especially in Kemera Ward, Nyamira County.
One of the street children that he sponsored back to school finished form four last year and several others are on with their basic education.
Between 2014 and 2018, Matara was privileged to serve former Kisii County Deputy Governor Joash Maangi as a bodyguard.
“When I worked as a bodyguard, I would get per diems whenever we went on a trip. I used a huge chunk of the money for charity. Some politicians took note of my sacrifice and in turn supported my initiatives,” he said.
He noted that if one wants to persuade anybody then one must first show the determination and willingness to sacrifice before asking them for any help.
“You cannot start an initiative and begin asking for support. You must be willing to sacrifice in the beginning,” he said.
To date, he has some politicians, colleagues and friends who donate towards his charitable works.
He is already planning for a bigger tournament for December this year, to commemorate his 10 years of service.
Matara has since graduated with a Diploma in Social Work and Community Development from Kisii University.
He has also enrolled for a bachelors degree in Sociology and Social Work in the same university.
