Once an Expert wrote:
Rudisha is a cop in the same way that Catherine Ndereba is a prison guard in that he runs for the Kenya Police team, whereas Ndereba ran for Kenya Prisons.
Shocked that rojo didn't know how this stuff worked.
Exactly. If they're not friends (which is highly possible) or not part of a transaction between friends like buying farm equipment or lending money, It's likely (technically) a bribe in the Western sense. Considered more of a "thank you" in Kenya. Colloquially referred to in Swahili as "chai" (literally "tea").
So if this is what it is, Rudisha, being a junior police officer, would showing his "gratitude" to this top cop for facilitating his running by:
1. Allowing him to train and not being deployed to do police work at all. So David retains his status as a police officer, and continues to earn a salary, therefore has something to fall back on if he gets injured or running doesn't work out
2. Not posting David in remote areas that would be not conducive for training. For example, David would never be posted in the hot arid North East near the Somali border or at the coast at sea level but would, for his entire career with the force be in or around a town like Eldoret (which happens to be highly desired by many Kenyans).
3. Now that David's a success, it could be possible he's showing some gratitude to someone who, did their part to facilitate that success. So it's not uncommon for Kenyans (especially those raised in rural areas) to revisit their old schools bearing "gifts" or other tokens for, say, a teacher they feel helped them through school. This could come in many forms depending, often a bale of flour, sugar or even beer.
This is the culture: you have to show gratitude to those who helped along the way for you to double or triple the "blessings". Sort of like karma but not the exact same thing. If this is the case, top cop would probably open with his friends and peers telling them David is "kijana mzuri" (a good boy); claim some credit for his success, and point to the gifts as proof.