Happy International Women’s day!
WHAT A SAD DAY FOR KENYA as we wake up to what we can term as a deplorable act: the impunity with which certain BODA BODA (commercial motorbikers) operators go about their businesses is quite distasteful, it is the height of depravity. The attack on a female motorist on 2nd March, 2022 in the presence of onlookers (mostly men) seemingly enjoying and/or supporting the same, makes the biblical towns of Gomorrah and Sodom seem and smell like holy cities.
Stretching the borders of this discourse of the BODA BODA menace, you realize the DEPRAVATION is quite pronounced in the SOCIETY AS A WHOLE. The instance we have people dancing to SILLY SONGS that objectify women, or lower our collective threshold for BULL*HIT so that anything goes, then you see that TWISTED MINDSET manifest in the way we “SEE” and treat WOMEN and other humans in general.
It is therefore hardly surprising that such acts then occur are considered “normal” and therefore is an embodiment of what our collective socialization and WORLD-VIEW on our women folk is/becomes.
We MUST MOVE AWAY from BLAMING AND VICTIMISING THE VICTIM for crimes committed against them, by dragging into the discussion such lame excuses as “they were indecently dressed”, “they ran someone over in the first place”, or worse, “they are the so called ‘dynasty’ therefore stealing from them is ok…”
See, if we drew lines backwards deep into time (or even to the Garden of Eden and shone a light at the first couple), it would follow that men of yore RAPED women who hang around them half naked, if completely naked, ALL the time if “indecent dressing” or nakedness was an admissible reason for indecent assault.
Solutions then:
Practice TOTAL SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. That is: (a). Be thorough in PLANNING, be it your routes, knowledge of critical locations including police stations, other relief frameworks, even prevailing situations like crowd dynamics (including those that are a threat like boda boda folks and opportunistic threats); (b). Exercise Foresight, in essence developing contingency plans around what could go wrong and adjusting accordingly and; (c). Add some moderate sense of vigilance by instinctively reflecting your “prevailing” environment as to avert whatever can compromise your security and safety.
With solution (1) above, YOU’LL have a heightened sense of security and safety awareness which means that, within that infrastructure, you’ll have knowledge of where help can come from if you’re in a position that warrants immediate assistance. A quick drive to the nearest police station, relief installation is an “IA” (immediate action) consideration.
HARDEN YOURSELF AS A TARGET. This has a vast array of elements including being inconspicuous, to being able to invest in efforts that make you unappealing or overly seeming protected and so not an easy or “safe” target to attack by potential aggressor. This may include armor for mobility vessels (cars), licensed arming, having safe to carry weapon systems that can be used for self-defense.
I’ve highlighted this in my article on the same. It reads in part:
ONE MAJOR THING: DO NOT SUFFER IN SILENCE. And there’s several ways to do that: (a). Make as much noise to raise alarm. Something is going to give in, either the aggressor will feel quite uncomfortable – no one feels comfortable continuing on with a (bad) deed when it’s noisy and chaotic apart from a warrior in battle, and two, someone’s attention, a good person for that matter, may be drawn to the commotion and swing in to help, or perhaps call for more attention – even by simply recording the same for swift onward transmission via social media; (b). Drawing attention to a CRIME, as and when it happens by whichever means, is like the biblical sycamore tree. It is a great enabler of the much needed salvation or help.
Also, as is safely allowable, make use of available resources and abilities to FIGHT BACK. Getting special trainings in martial arts, and being FIT enough to mount a reasonable counter attack on that listless aggressor can be a game changer in the face of imminent danger posed to you.
THINK POST-INCIDENT MANAGEMENT a forehand. In the unlikelihood we’re attacked, how easy would it be to manage that incident, and aid in the same? So, as a prep, invest in systems and/or “things”, even HABITS (PRACTICES) that would leverage just that. Stay switched on to get details of the incident or the aggressor: invest in dashboard camcorders, recording devises, use routes and/or drive in(to) places that are covered with essential IT (CCTV) that are able to capture and be milked for essential evidentiary material to support post-incident management – track and trace, arrest and prosecution among others.
Indeed the BAD ELEMENTS among the BODA BODA folks are a fraction and part of the larger/broader society. The society then, by and large, have collectively failed in VIGILANTLY rebuking, strongly discouraging ills, and in some ways, have actively encouraged SOCIETAL ILLS with their silence which is complicity, or altogether, rationalizing and normalizing the ills.
MINDSET CHANGE, and active moral re-armament by all MUST be prioritized and undertaken by the society if we are to witness a better tomorrow, future. WE MUST PURSUE STRONG VALUES SYSTEMS AND REALISTIC and MORALLY ACCEPTABLE CODES OF CONDUCT and ASPIRATIONS.
Our PUBLIC SECURITY MACHINERY, and other key stakeholders MUST DO THEIR BIT with renewed vigor & seriousness. We seem to ONLY “wake up” when there’s public uproar. Additionally, there’s legislative frameworks that seem to have remained in the past when situations have overtaken things overnight: requirements such as “remaining in the scene of crime” for proof and processing of incidents whence some conditions would dictate swift getaway to safety obviate a relook at relevant legislative frameworks, and awareness creation for the benefit of public safety and security. Rapid processing of offenders, and service of JUSTICE that MUST be seen to be done, will go a long way in creating deterrence.
NOW, more than ever, the BODA BODA sector needs to be STRICTLY regulated to reverse the gains of this impunity and runaway crimes. In addition to prosecution of offenders, withdrawal of operating licenses and complete deregistration with regulatory bodies, saccos included, be considered.
For more, on equipment, security advice, equipment to use for self defence, reach me… Visit @Byron Adera on Instagram and YouTube for more information:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAlJIOiAmAA/?utm_medium=copy_link