Oh my! Have you ever seen a dead body? Ofcourse you have. How about one that lost it's life violently? Well, Boniface Mwangi has. He recently opened up about trying to save a man's life only for him to die in his car.
And while I can bend your ear for a couple of seconds more trying to get my word count in, I'll just let Boniface Mwangi get to tell his story in his own words:
In 2014, the number of pedestrians that were killed while using the roads was 1340. The total number of reported accident casualties was 2,907 and Nairobi alone had 561 casualties. These are the reported cases however many more go unreported daily. The number of traffic related deaths are obviously higher. These numbers represent over 3000 households. Judging by the average size of Kenyan families over 9000 people are directly affected by these deaths. In a mere instant countless lives are shattered and irreversibly affected by road accidents, especially those that are of hit and run nature. Victim’s bodies are left in ditches by the roadside for police to collect and many victims die painful death as onlookers are afraid to stop and help.Why is it so hard to do the right thing in Kenya? Why are motorists hesitant to help accident victims? We were not always like this but because of a failed police system Kenyans are wary to help. If you pick an injured person and rush them to the hospital you are required to fill out a large amount of paper work. In the unfortunate event that the victim of the accident dies in your car it becomes a police case and you must to drive to the nearest police station with the body to report the accident and get a stamped death notification. Without this death notification no morgue will accept the body.
The involvement of filing a police case makes Kenyans wary because some police officers will treat a good Samaritan like a possible suspect. Eye witnesses also fear the police and therefore rarely come forward to record statements.
I discovered this for myself last night.
While driving home I found a victim of a hit and run accident around the T-Mall area with a few good Samaritans who were helping him. He had been lying there for over an hour waiting for help. We rushed him to Kenyatta Hospital where we struggled to find someone to help us. We searched for a stretcher and by God's grace we found one. The man had a pulse when he was found but he was confirmed dead on arrival by the doctor. The next hurdle was the paperwork that we had to fill. We got the death certificate stamped and the next step was to take him to Chiromo mortuary. One police officer casually said that he deals with these victims then goes and eats meat, with complete disregard for the family members of the victim who were present.
A hit and run victim becomes a cold case before the body hits the ground if the motorist doesn't stop. I once fired a consultant l had worked with for 3 years who was in a car that hit and killed someone. The driver didn't stop. They drove off and the driver told the passengers he will repair the car and sell it off. That consultant sat silently in the car, did not text to ask for help and alighted at the destination without writing down the number plates. As I listened to this story I was shocked that this person did not attempt to do the right thing. Hit and run accident victims have a higher chance of dying then being assisted by motorists.
We are not a nation of savages and something has to give. Doing the right thing is not heroic, it's human. Kenya must regain it’s humanity. Rest in peace Francis Netia Osundwa,he leaves behind a widow and five children.
https://www.facebook.com/BonifaceMwangiBM/photos/a.697542600265641.1073741828.643875235632378/1001594336527131/?type=1&theater
TID's warning to arbantone singers about using his songs