Former Police Training College-Kiganjo commandant Zachary King'ori Mwangi ( Photo Courtesy)
During his colourful police service career spanning over three decades, Zachary King'ori Mwangi rose to become one of the most powerful cops in the country.
At one point, many believed that the brilliant cop would rise to become Kenya's police chief at one stage of his police career. But it was not to be.
A one-time Nairobi Provincial Police Officer ( PPO), King'ori Mwangi was liked by his bosses. And because of his enormous intelligence, he was always at the top of his class in all police trainings he attended.
It is therefore not surprising that, in his 30s, he was a PPO, the position that is often reserved for officers in their 50s.
King'ori Mwangi would go on to serve as Coast PPO before making a return to police headquarters, where he also worked as deputy director of police reforms.
The man from Nyeri would later be sent to Police Training College-Kiganjo as the new Commandant before making a return to the capital city as the Principal Adminstrative to the Deputy Inspector General of Police. Here, he was succeeded by the current Inspector General of Police Japheth Koome.
In the rank of Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police, King'ori Mwangi was often tipped to hit the pinnacle of his career as a law enforcer. But he was always overlooked.
His last tour of duty as a cop was in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where he was in-charge of security. He would later retire after a checkered career as a law enforcer.
But he did not disappear entirely from the scene as he made swift return into the public service in a civilian role at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
King'ori Mwangi sadly passed on in 2023 after a short illness.