Joash Ombati, the cop who was photographed rounding up two criminals at Parklands on Wednesday says he's 'happy to have saved a life.
At his Nyamira backyard, a spirited campaign was waged by social media users to have him recognised by the President at Mashujaa Day in Kakamega.
But for Ombati, who hails from Nyambaria, his heroics were more of 'doing his duty' as a police officer, entrusted with keeping the country safe.
"I'm happy because I helped a Kenyan...This is a blessing to me. Whenever I do such deeds I feel very satisfied. What if the thieves stole from this man?" Ombati asked.
Narrating the ordeal to the Star, Ombati said being a great policeman to the people is one of his prayer points.
"If I could have ignored the thieves, then it means that I'm being paid to do zero work? In that case, I should just leave my work and go home and look after cows," he said.
It all started when he noticed a man being thrown out of a moving vehicle in an attempted robbery. Mr. Ombati, backed by a taxi driver, chased the vehicle and shot its tyres to deflat it.
The robbers, who had taken Sh750,000 from a man from Voi along with his vehicle, surrendered after being overpowered by Mr. Ombati.
He managed to recover Sh400,000 from the suspects who were later own locked at Parklands Police Station awaiting to be charged for robbery with violence.
The 34-year-old cop is married to one wife and has two daughters from the marriage.