Demanding cash from accident victims in Tanzania was cruel

As Kenyans lay dying after the horrific road accident in Tanga, Tanzania, the Tanzanians at the scene demanded money before they could rescue Kenyans.

I thought the act of saving a dying human being was instinctive, automatic and immediate. Not so for Tanzanians if the victim is Kenyan.

They demanded: “Why don’t you women from Kenya give us money so that we may help you?”

Beasts, I say. If anyone has a problem understanding why so many died at the scene, there you have it.

It was further reported that medical authorities took so long to arrive when they could have done better, and that President Kibaki personally intervened. Kenya airlifted the victims.

Tanzanians seem to hate Kenyans for no sane reason. Since the time of the Ujamaa experiment that went awfully wrong, Tanzanians have always blamed Kenya, perhaps correctly, for the collapse of the East African Community.

Led by President Nyerere who said Kenya is a man-eat-man society, making Charles Njonjo retort that Tanzania was a man-eat-nothing society, Tanzanians were brainwashed to blame many of their problems on Kenyans.

Yet the hypocrisy of Tanzania “patriotic” leaders is well known. Their children go to schools in Kenya. Their farmers export produce to Kenya. Yet at the slightest chance, they deport Kenyans.

KARIUKI MUIRI, Karatina