Justice Minister Johnston Busingye set social media on fire with an ordinary tweet that was just out of the ordinary. The minister became one of the first victims of his own medicine. But first, a little bit of explaining is needed here; the Ministry of Justice is one of the most important cabinet dockets as it oversees all judicial and law enforcement organs. Among them are the Police, Rwanda Investigation Bureau and Rwanda Correctional Services. In many African countries, especially in our region, the holder of the docket is a super minister – untouchable. With the simple snap of a finger, a felon is released, an innocent person is imprisoned. The incumbent decides whether it rains or shines in the justice sector, but not in Rwanda. The Traffic Police are in the midst of a 52-week road safety campaign dubbed “Gerayo Amahoro” (Arrive Safely). One of the tools at its disposal is number plate recognition traffic cameras. Drive beyond the recommended speed limit and a ticket is immediately sent via SMS to the number under whom the vehicle is registered. So, as fate has it, the speeding minister fell into his own trap and was fined immediately. The message was clear; we are all equal under the law, and by the sound of his tweet, Busingye was happy to oblige, the same elation of that of a boy mounting his first bicycle. It was a great lesson in law enforcement and keeping within the confines of the law. No wonder there were comparisons between Busingye, a Ugandan diplomat who roughed up a traffic policewoman for calling out his traffic offence, or senior Kenyan officials who drive on the wrong side of the lane to beat traffic with impunity. But at the end of the day, the comparisons were not necessary because this is Rwanda, and it works. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
