Close Encounters with ... the Law..!!
on Emma in Nairobi (Kenya), 18/Jun/2009 06:15, 34 days ago
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I had 2 encounters with the Local Kenyan police force this week. Often this is not a very pleasant experience as they may not be your friends by any standards and are usually looking for a bribe… (I know.. sweeping statement but mostly true……).. On Monday night I was in a car with a Dutch friend who was driving 4 of us home from the cinema who a) wasn’t used to driving in Kenya and didn’t know her way round that well and b) didn’t like driving in the dark. So as we proceeded foolishly down a dark one way road unbeknown to any of us… Out of nowhere stepped 2 armed policemen who pulled us over and grilled us. First they told her it would be a court appearance and hefty fine and how could we have not seen the sign….what with no street lights.. Pretty easy to miss it…!!Although we were totally at fault.. I still do not know how we managed to pull it off but after us pleading our innocence and giving a good sob story they let us go without any charge or money changing hands…..???? (Note: No “girlie” tears were shed during this exchange!!!).Then on Tuesday morning on my way to work in the matatu… we had just reached town and we were pulled over by 3 policeman. The matatu fare operator was a girl and they gave her a hard time about not wearing the proper uniform which is a maroon jacket and hers was slightly on the red side. The 3 cops then proceeded to get into the matatu and escort thematatu to the police station around the corner. We (all the passengers) were all told to get out and stand in a line outside the police station. I was waiting for my mug shot to be taken ….ANYWAY one of the cops proceeded to lecture us all in Kiswahili so I could only imagine was being said…..& after telling us we had been forgiven this time for not wearing seat belts he let us all go on our way BUT held onto the matatu driver and the fare operator… so who knows what happened to them!!!Note to self: Dont go out after dark and remember to buckle up in a matatu... YEAH RIGHT!!!
