Breaking the law

In Kigali I noticed that people actually obeyed the law and it led me to a tangent about Uganda:

When getting a ticket for speeding in Uganda, everyone gets out of the car to have a chat with the police officer about the charge. When this happened to me, I wasn’t sure whether or not I should try being important, being white and all, so I stayed in the car, although I was pointed out as a government consultant at one point. During this discussion about the charge the officer waves the ticket pad around and keeps pretending to write but never does, giving you hope that you’ll be able to get by with a 5 000 UGX bribe. Of course, the first time you offer the money the officer looks shocked. “What’s this?” he or she will ask. Then, after a good 10-20 minute discussion and lots of waving around of the ticket, some money gets slipped to the officer, everyone files back into the car and off you go. Sadly, because the license of our driver had been expired for five years, we had to pay 30 000UGX instead. But that’s still better than the 150 000UGX fine that would have otherwise awaited us.

This reminds me of another police situation. One morning, on my way to Kampala for a business meeting, my boss gets a phone call. “We have arrested a suspect for the tree slashing in Kigungu. Can you please come to the station?” At first I was relieved that I would not have to act as a chauffeur for this police officer who didn’t even have a bicycle, much less a car. But then I found out that, if it had been possible, I would have also been expected to drive the supposed criminal to jail! Now would that not have been exciting!?! I can’t believe that civilians, much less those that brought the case to the police, have to transport the criminals! If we could not have transported him, the accused would have been let free or he would have, well, I don’t know. My boss ended up having to hire a taxi for them… In this country, if you want to get anything, you always have to be ready to pay. Apparently nothing the police does is free.