Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), as well as the Rwanda National Police, have of late been taken for fodder by social media. Both institutions have been adept at harnessing the internet and citizens have kind of taken them hostage. They no longer have the luxury of sleeping or burying dossiers because a simple tweet crying for justice will go very far, especially when they tag the top seats of government. While both RIB and the police have been quick to reply to queries raised on social media, they seem to have shifted in top gear ever since the case of a local TV owner who assaulted a colleague on camera and it went viral after two months of inaction against the aggressor. That action led to many other copy-cat means of seeking justice and the strategy seems to be working. Soon there will be no need for physically filing complaints, a simple posting will catch the desired attention. But sometimes concerned institutions fail to give feedback through the same channels the issue was raised. That is the case of violence meted out on students in one of the elite schools that involved whipping of students. That case seems to have been swept under the carpet even though corporal punishment is not allowed in schools, nor is humiliating students in front of his or her peers so as to set an example. That is exactly what one school did. A parent posted a photo of his son’s head that had been humiliatingly partly shaved and it caused a backlash and caught the attention of those concerned and forced the government to read schools the riot act. But whatever the cases, public or private institutions should not perform their duties to please social media, but to do it because that is what is expected of them. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
