A sorry state, it is, when Kenyan cops terrorize fellow Kenyans with a myriad of trivial demands on our Kenyan roads. It is very pitiful the way they put up road blocks every night looking, not really to provide security on our roads, but to look for a few victims whom they will threaten thoroughly on ver trivial matters and somehow fleece a bribe off them. Well, I can't say that all cops are like that, there is a generation of cops, whom I have seen, atleast try to provide some sort of security on our roads, however they are very few and far between out there...[I think the guys on the BMW motor bikes are actually honest! I've been stopped by one who was quite courteous, and he gave me a warning.]
The Kenyan Police Force motto is an oxymoron if you think about their unscrupulous actions. "Utumishi kwa wote" - "Service to all." Sometimes I do think they might actually be doing a disservice to all, if by being on the roads their main aim is only to fleece unsuspecting road users.
If only they were to conduct their actions in an orderly, polite and courteous manner, I think we would come to appreciate their work more. They flag you down on the road with eyes that say "Guilty until proven otherwise" rather than the norm of "Innocent until proven Guilty." The "otherwise" is the leeway for the "on-the-fence" decision which involves soliciting a bribe - TKK,Toa kitu kidogo [kikubwa],chai, etc. And they are becoming very daring in demanding, yes there are some who will, without shame, demand a bribe immediately. I was victim to one who demanded a heavy 2000ksh [and he was shouting, and all around could hear him!]. This guy was manning the check-point just as you enter the airport on the Thursday afternoon of May 14th 2009. It seems that it is no secret that they look for bribes. It would seem that all the cops around have probably agreed that for every customer that they can terrorize, they fleece them and split the loot ["The fruits of their labour!"] among themselves. Have they no conscience, I wonder?
There are also those cops who diligently commandeer the chaotic traffic on our roads from 7-8am, but as soon a 8.01am hits, they abandon their duties, supposedly because the traffic has subsided [yah right!], and they begin to stop drivers on the road looking for the smallest of mistakes. I have seen them. There are some notorious guys from Kilimani police station after manning various roads in the Kilimani region engage in these disordered activities...and they are very regular at it to boot!
I may be blaming the man on the ground here for being grossly unprincipled, but we might not be putting the spotlight on the right culprit. Our dear government, and whichever docket deals with the management of the police force needs to pay their employees a reasonable salary; after all, if i'm not mistaken, they are civil servants [albeit underpaid ones, as usual].
Wake up our dear leaders of Kenya!
