POLICEMEN FAIL TO PAY SHS 200 EACH TO EASE THEMSELVES

Government ought to understand the position in which many of its workers find themselves. This is worsened when the local people fail to understand later on appreciate the roles of Government functionaries like the Police Officers. Just a day after people were teargased at Nyendo, Policemen were retained to keep law and order. This followed the opposition candle light and remembrance of those who died during the ‘walk to work’ campaigns. Two Policemen it is said wanted to have a short call in a public toilet where shs 200 has to be paid before getting cleared to use the facility. The person collecting the money refused to allow them access the urinal if they did not pay first. The Policemen went on to their knees begging and saying they were not given money for toilets. There are three or so issues here. 1st, it is now common for the security personnel to be poured in areas where they at times have to stay for days without providing for the toilet facilities and they end up a burden to the locals; or even end up easing themselves at wrong places. 2ndly, the issue of poverty, when a person is paid so small a salary you cannot rule out corruption and or extortion of money from victims for him or her to make ends meet. It was said by one person that at some Police station money for helping with the operations was got from those deployed as Traffic offices! 3rd, the relationship between the locals and the security personnel is very important. Whenever these relations are bad because Government uses these as a vehicle to harass the local people then you have to know that the going will not be rosy with the locals in case such officers have a problem. In a situation where the dealings by the Police and locals are normal, you would expect the Police officers to just e cleared to ease themselves without the need to have them pay a coin.