Sunday, May 13, 2012

Oh my.  What a day. It's 9:00pm, and I can't tell you how happy I am to be home.  It all started this morning at RVA when Josiah awoke with a fever.  We loaded the car, met Emily for breakfast and we were on our way.  All of us were happy to be leaving.  About 45 minutes into our trip - in the town of Naivasha - there was a police check.  No big deal.  They have those all the time.  They don't usually stop us, but sometimes they do and they check our insurance and our driver's license.  So, stop us they did.  Driver's license...check.  By the way sir, you're being arrested.  Arrested!?  For what???  For speeding sir.  I wasn't speeding.  You were going over 120 kph. 

Okay, time for some Kenya law explanation.  Kenya has 2 speed limits.  120 for private vehicles, and 80 for commercial, public assistance vehicles.  The vehicle we were driving is a former matatu; that's like a public bus only the size of a large van.  It, however, is no longer public; it is private.  It even has a big sticker all across the front that says, "PRIVATE."  The police lady knew this, that's why she accused us of going over 120.  Roger, however, was driving 90.  So, he continued the arguement.  I wasn't speeding.  I was going under 100.  So, she said to wait just a minute while she went and talked to her supervisor.  The supervisor came over.  We have you on video.  You were speeding.  You are driving a commercial vehicle and you were going 98 (still a lie - and no, they don't have video).  Follow me to the police station.  Seriously?  I wasn't speeding.  Follow me to the police station.

So, off we went to the police station in Naivasha.  We pull in and Roger says to me, "take these keys, don't give them to anyone," and he went into the station.  A while later he came out. They look at the insurance sticker on the car and the officer says, "See, it says commercial right here."  Roger replies, "It's a private vehicle.  It belongs to a Children's Home and it says PRIVATE across the front." By the way, the name of the Children's Home is plastered all over both sides of the vehicle. But no, it is a public service vehicle according to the police. They arrested him for speeding, he paid his bail of 3,000 shillings, and they told him  he had to return to Naivasha on Tuesday to go to court.  If he doesn't show up, they flag his driver's license.  I was so proud of Roger.  He completely kept his cool - partly because doing anything else just makes matters worse.

 Meanwhile, my friend Amy had called her husband who just happens to know the head of the CID (Criminal Investigation Department).  He informed us that the police there were way out of line.  The law says that it doesn't matter how the insurance sticker is labled.  It says private on the front, it is owned by a private group - IT'S PRIVATE!  He told us to get receipts, officer names, badge ID numbers, and pictures if possible of all the officers involved.  I had also called a friend of our who lives in Naivasha (but who was still at RVA for the end of Home School Week) and he just happens to know the Officer in Charge of the Station - who he called. 

So, when Roger went back in to get Badge numbers, he asked for the OCP (Officer in charge of the police), went looking for him, couldn't find him, but found another officer that seemed on the up-and-up and who made an effort to help him.  When they went back into the main office, the officers there had received a couple of phone calls from some important people and were already filling out paper work to let Roger go free completely.  They gave him a written warning - which he didn't sign - gave his bail money back and said, "Get out of here."  They were not happy with him!  So - Roger doesn't have to go to court :-)  Yeah!  And Roger's not in jail :-)  DOUBLE YEAH!!!!

A couple hours later we pulled into Nakuru for lunch - ate at a lovely little cafe and had a cock-roach crawling on our table.  That was fun.

Then, 4 1/2 hours later we pulled into Eldoret and stopped at a hospital there because Josiah had gotten so sick.

One hour and 20 minutes later we arrived back in Kitale where Amy's husband had made dinner for all us weary travelers; home made soup and biscuits and even a butternut-pecan cake with home made chocolate frosting to celebrate Mother's Day.  Did I mention how happy we are to be home???

Arrived home, went to see our new puppy and got to hold him and congratulate our Annie on her first Mother's Day :-)

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