WHERE THEY ROB HUMAN DIGNITY.

A carjacking is one of the most horrid incidents that anyone could ever find themselves in. we’ve often heard and read about how passengers are robbed of all their belongings and left helpless in the middle of nowhere. I have never in the life of me thought that the situation could get worse. Can you imagine a situation whereby the carjackers rob the passengers not only of all their belongings but of their dignity as well? Apparently, this was the case in a recent incident in Kenya’s coast province.

Hooded rogues on a highway ready to strike

A friend of mine who operates a small scale business in Taita Taveta town happened to be one of the unfortunate victims of the carjacking. He narrated to me over a cup of coffee how he and his fellow passengers, watched helplessly as their dignity slipped right through their fingers on that fateful night; this in addition to losing all their possessions. Here’s how.

Passengers boarded a 28-seater mini bus headed from Nairobi to Taita Taveta.  Their long journey kicked off some few minutes past 10pm and they expected to get to their destination at the crack of dawn. And arrive they did, only poorer and without a shred of dignity. It turned out that six of the ‘passengers’ were armed robbers waiting for an opportune moment to strike.

As soon as the mini bus was well out of the city and speeding through the remote plains, the bandits let loose their game. They ordered the panic stricken driver to veer off the main road into a thicket. Everyone was ordered out of the bus the armed bandits then proceeded to unleash terror unknown to the passengers. 

Travelers were ordered to surrender all their belongings, which included mobile phones, jewels and money. Two of the thugs collected the loot while the other four brandished guns at anyone who dared to defy. The gang also plundered the luggage which the passengers had carried with them. My friend lost all the goods he had bought to restock his shop as well as his money.

Just when the traumatized passengers thought that the worst was over, it turned out that the nightmare had just began. Everyone was ordered to strip stark naked and one by one walk back to their seats in the bus at gun point. And when I say naked, I mean that every passenger went back to that bus in their birthday suit, the driver and his conductor included!! 

Can you imagine the awkwardness that hung in that bus? Every passenger was blushing with shame as they quietly and helplessly watched the last of their dignity slip right through their fingers, with absolutely no available avenue for damage control!! The bandits not only stole all their possessions, but they also made away with every little piece of clothing they had on them!!

After a few hours of grappling to come to terms with the situation at hand, they resolved to continue with the rest of the journey. And as am sure you can imagine, it was quite a long one. “When it hit me that daylight would soon be here and find me in this condition, I wished the earth would open up and swallow me!” lamented my friend during our conversation. He went on further to tell me that the following morning was one of the longest in his life. I could get into the details, but unfortunately my word count cripples me.

 As is norm in Kenya, every bus that pulls into the bus park is met by eager business minded individuals, who come with the hope of selling their wares or offering carrier services to passengers with bulky luggage. This bus was no exception. Nor sooner had the bus pulled into the bus park, than eager traders rushed towards it, hoping to make a kill. Much to their surprise, passengers quickly scampered away from the bus windows as though their lives depended on it. For a moment in there, it was a situation of everyone for themselves and God for them all as each one tried to squeeze themselves under the bus seats!!

The traders were to shockingly learn the travelers in the bus were not just any passengers, but stark naked passengers, who could hardly bare the shame of exposing their nudity to complete strangers let alone have money to transact! In an emotional conversation that for good reasons had little exchange of words and more of facial expressions, arrangements were swiftly made to absolve the passengers from their predicament.

Towns women descended upon the bus armed with khangas (pieces of printed cotton fabrics worn in Africa), and the relieved passengers thankfully put them to good use. Thank heavens for the kind nature of Kenyan citizens, these carjacking victims got reprieve from their horrendous escapade.

Coastal women draped in Khangas

 Other incidents have been reported where the carjackers force passengers to engage in sexual activity with complete strangers at gun point! Worse still, the thugs could defile the passengers themselves. This is utter robbery of human dignity and is so wrong! These activities leave poor citizens in serious traumas, some of which take years to overcome.

One can only hope and pray that the perpetrators of these crimes identify with their humanity for Pete’s sake. And when the long arm of the law finally catches up with then, justice should be served steaming hot!!!