Instant justice to remedy uncouthness

By OYUNGA PALA

There is an instant justice story about a man named Olago Queen Cake that makes me smile every time I hear it. He was an ambitious hustler who hanged around the main bus park in Kisumu and could talk. Olago always had something smart to say about everything that happened around the bus park.  He was short and wiry funny man, and an endless stream of stories. But he was also known for his abuse and was the kind of man who easily resorted to insults in a disagreement.

Yanked

One day, he crossed the wrong traveller. An average looking middle-aged man found himself caught at the receiving end of his rudeness. As is custom with freelance booking agents, Olago quickly pounced on the traveller as soon as he appeared. Before he could voice his protest, Olago grabbed his luggage and rushed it to a bus he was packing with Nairobi bound passengers. The traveller protested, pleading for his bag, but Olago wasn’t listening, adamant to have his way. The visibly annoyed traveller finally yanked his bag back forcefully and the sudden action caused Olago’s shirt to tear. That is when Olago launched into a tirade. For a few minutes, he hurled nasty remarks towards the stranger who seemed unconcerned until something utterly insulting was said about his mother. The man simply placed his bag on the tarmac, whipped out his belt in one motion, grabbed a surprised Olago in the midst of his outburst, and whipped him through his threats. No one came to his rescue. Instead, a large crowd gathered to watch, most amused beyond belief. They had never imagined that Olago would meet his match in such spectacular fashion. This was not a fight. It was a beating.

The man who had probably worked as prison warder in the Nyayo era, knew how to work a belt and he rained down severe lashes on the offender in such clinical fashion, it looked deserved. All he kept repeating was, Utafunga hiyo mdomo (You will shut your mouth). Eventually, Olago unable to take the humiliation, scampered off, stumbling through the very amused crowd of spectators.

The offender turned around and read the riot act to the onlookers, and explained why young men who displayed uncouth behaviour deserved a beating. The original witnesses to the scuffle backed his claim, admitting that he was provoked and had every right to react the way he did.

Inconsiderate

Meanwhile, despite the demeaning lashes, Olago still had something to say when his colleagues caught up to console him. Spewing his usual bravado, he was quick to retort, “I admit I got a proper caning, but the insults I gave him, he got it proper.” It was said after that incident, Olago was not as loose with his tongue.

The story gets me nostalgic as I remember the bygone era of instant justice, which checked the rampant indiscipline that has encroached public spaces. Incidents of rudeness, abusive language a totally absence of courtesy in shared spaces are becoming normalised. People act in pure self-interest without regard to the welfare of others affected by their inconsiderate behaviour.

So there are probably many who share my view that public lashing would be efficient way to deal with uncouth manners in public. Nothing quite enforces behaviour change like a beating you deserve.