Transport Upheavals.

Job Simiyu.

Simiyu: Kindly tell us what you do for a Living.
Ahmed: Ok am a driver, I’ve been a driver and tout at the same time, that has been for five years, different routes, but currently am in Rongai.
Simiyu: What challenges do you go through?
Ahmed: The challenges we go through are based/ caused by police officers, from the senior officers to the ones in a lower rank. As you operate, there’s clearly a system that’s in place, and you have to comply to that system, irregardless of you complying to the system, you’ll find that you’ll still get disturbances from the police officers.
Simiyu: Do you mind telling us a little more about the main Challenge?
Ahmed: The police officers being the major challenge we face in the country, the bribing that happens on the roads, has a great impact on how we work. The amount the highest officer, say the O.C.P.D gets is not the same to the amount of the Corporal, and most of the operations on the roads are planned, in that on a specific day, a certain officer on a higher rank, is the one who has the day. So as per the day, you’ll have to comply failure to which you might end up in court. Depending on the points they’ll be situated, on a routine, they’ll collect what they need.
Simiyu: Is/Could there be a solution to this problem?
Ahmed: It being a system that’s deeply rooted in this scheme for a long time, and a lot of uncouth business happening, it’s hard to change, as the whole system from the high officers to the lower ones are all corrupt, so it’s a hard thing to change.