At first it was that Turkish – Emin Baro dude who committed a heinous crime of sexually abusing over 50 girls. Only to be slapped with a “lenient” two year’s jail sentence.
Then, last week, four Bulgarians were arrested on allegations of operating an ATM skimming scam. Okay, now I am fed up of these antics. As if some of these guys are determined to prove that this is indeed the Dark Continent where any kind of rubbish can just pass. If you watched the news, you will concur when I say that these guys attitude was sickening.
From mocking the cameras, flashing wicked signs for all to see, to throwing annoying comments like, “You are wasting your time,” they did it all.
And who would blame them? After all they are always availed V.I.P status even when in the wrong. I mean, just imagine if it were a Ugandan arrested for that? It would not matter if he were a politician, female or youth; blows would fly from all over as if he/she were a drum. Which has always had me wondering, why we give these guys special treatment.
For starters, are these guys any different from us at all? I guess not. That is why they too can engage in gruesome habits like any other human being. So I do not understand why we forever remain intimidated by them. Especially when a good number of them may not even value our laws because if they did, a sick comment like, “You are wasting your time,” would not have been thrown at us via our very own media!
The other day while at a restaurant, a waiter spent all his time staring at this white couple (while waiting for them to order) instead of attending to us who were all ready to order. As if the same tip that was evidently being expected could not be given to her by the rest of us. Another day, I witnessed this pair of white ladies walking away from a complaining boda boda dude because he had been given less money. And as he attempted to demand for it, his colleagues quickly pleaded in vernacular that he should let them go lest he loses all his hard earned money when they report him to their embassy!
I have had it with this wrong mentality! I think we have stomached enough. We are dubbed a third world country. Then it takes thorough scrutiny to get access to even visiting their countries. Every slight thing that happens here is blown out of proportion to our very own disadvantage. Take the ebola situation for example! Make a slight mistake in their country and the slightest punishment you can get is deportation.
The Bulgarians in the ATM scam for example were previously arrested in Kenya before they proceeded to Uganda! So how is it possible that here in Uganda, we did not take precaution and note of those crooks at immigration?
Come to think of it, what do we gain from baby-sitting these lads? Why can’t we also get strict and defend what we are worth and stand for, rich or poor?
In the end we all deserve good and better lives hence we have to accord it too to human kind. Over 50 kids were abused and up to now, we still await the conclusive verdict. Then, these suspects who could have snatched millions from this poor country1.
And where is the international media to cover this and have it known to the whole world such that everyone knows that much as they might be scared of visiting this country because of ebola and all those other petty things, we also are frightened and have had enough of these sickening antics being introduced and portrayed here as-if to bring the movies to reality?!