Page 34 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 6

AFRIKA IS GOD’S

27th of March 2020, which was
to last for a month, before being
extended for another 21 days.
Obviously not many were ready
for this action and not many
were excited about it either,
especially those low income
earners that mostly do daily
or night jobs to feed and take
care of their families. It looked
like a horror movie for them to
even think that they wouldn't be
at home, lying in front of a TV abuse, rather than dialogue
able to go out to fend for their to save the world.#StayAtH- were the only things the police
upkeep. But like many other
ome DONT SCREW THIS UP! were taught to use on the sup-
actions of the government, it
#IgnorantKenyans #COVIDI- posed inferior natives? Because
was for the greater good and
OT #StayAtHome #Coronavi- in my mind I am thinking, why
I personally truly sympathize
rusPandemic.” Along with an does a policeman feel so ok
with them. The curfew started infographic that also raised and proud to subject a man like
as scheduled and like some
eyebrows. And when asked if himself or a woman like the wife
not-too-well-planned project,
they couldn’t have put it more he has at home to near ani-
the first day recorded some
politely, responded, “Naah.” The mal-like treatment? Could it be
heinous acts of brutality of the
first Tweet was still pinned on an outer reality of a deeper is-
police on the masses. Naturally, their account as of 22nd April sue? I think it is. Just maybe we
this caused a lot of uproar and
2020. Could this, perhaps, lend need to reevaluate and over-
President Kenyatta had to apol-
some insight towards the actual haul the entire police story and
ogize to the nation for this act of
perspective the police have of come up with a new policing
police brutality. I must say that's
the people and their relation- system that works for our peo-
one of the very first times I was ship towards them? Is there ple. For, even if a policeman is
seeing that and it made my day.
a bigger problem lying under- obeying orders, does it warrant
I am serious. But like a critical
neath that we are refusing to throwing compassion and the
thinking person, I also had my
deal with? Because for me, the simplicity of humanity out of the
worries and a few things I think
no-love between the police and window? I do not think so.
we are not taking accurate the people seems to point to I may be mistaken but I sin-
measures to correct.
something bigger and we have cerely do not see such acts as
to talk about it from a holistic, just the obeying of orders from
What really is the problem?
systemic, psychological, spir- the presidency or the police
I sincerely appreciate the men itual point of view, so that just bosses, at least I hope it is not.
of the uniform who do all to maybe we can find a solution to I want to believe it is something
keep our nations safe. But my
the police-people conflict that that is much more personal to
first concern or question is this:
always shows up with every the police themselves. Let me
Why do things concerning the
emergency. To not do it now, explain with this question. What
police and the masses always is to keep under the carpet the will make a man, in this case, a
end up in chaos, brutality, dis- very dirt that causes the stench policeman find value in deval-
respect for basic human rights
in our society. uing the very people he or she
and the many other things that
is employed to serve? Could it
often occur? For instance, in
Holistic/Systemic be that the system we inherited
the case of Kenya, the National On a more broad level, could it from the white colonialists, has
Police Service official Twitter
be that the general training of created a police force that is so
account released a tweet in
the police force, in this case, in devalued in their thinking that
March some days before the
Afrika stems from the patterns the only way they think they are
curfew was announced, say-
of the colonial days where valued is when someone falls at
ing, “You have only got once force, rather friendship, verbal their feet helpless, like the colo-
in a lifetime opportunity to stay

34 | heal . restore . rebirth . Afrika