Yesterday (Monday 23rd April) I was arrested. It was about 9:00am and I was on my way to my Ngummo office. Just near

Traffic, a policeman stopped our matatu and they quickly decided that we all had not strapped our seatbelts. (yeah it was true for most of us, I guess.) So we were driven into the police station and directed into some room. It looked like the front desk or equivalent. There was already a group there behind the counter.

Naturally, people began making phone calls and sending text messages notifying people where they were and some also asking for money for the fine that was to come. Our names were written without any verification that we were giving our real names. I think our names were called out twice or thrice. Meanwhile, those with relevant connections made relevant calls to be gotten out. Those who were successful in this were called away from time to time.

At about 10:00, the lorry that was to take us to court arrived. Again we were called out in groups of 4 or five and shepherded to the lorry. I think it was an old army lorry. One guy complained :" I lent a guy my phone to call the OCS" (Officer Commanding Station). "I told him to tell the OCS there is two of us, but he just got out alone!" Sad. And it was a cross-network (and hence more expensive) call.

As one young-looking girl was getting onto the lorry, a policeman standing by asked her "Are you not a student?." He called her back and I think she was left to go.

It was not until about 10:30 that the lorry finally set off for the CBD (where the High Court is). We arrived pretty soon and were guided downstairs and past several cells, some empty, some with people. Again, we were herded into some corridor and our names called. We were to stand in the same order in which we were called. We were called again and this time we were told
what charges had been preferred against us.

We then queued in a line from a certain desk where a policeman again called us and for the first time checked our identification, but not too keenly. Then we were crammed into the dungeons I had seen earlier. They were about 6 by 12 feet or so. There were about 35 of us in my dungeon.

One guy was making occasional threats at people who I guess framed him. I think he was drunk. One Asian looking guy was looking quite tired. He was barefoot.
A guy narrated that as we got off the lorry and into the court building, one guy went upstairs instead of downstairs.
"Where are you going?", a policeman asked him.
The man stopped and responded, "I am going up here."
And thus he escaped.

A policeman came to our dungeon and called out a name. The guy who responded was a smart-looking maybe forty-ish man who apparently works for the Ministry Of Health.
"Why didn't you tell the officer that you work in such a sensitive place?" the policeman asked.
"There is a man called [I forget the name] who is following up you matter"
Interestingly, the Ministry Of Health man was with us to the end.

At about 12:10, we were finally called out of the dungeon. Again people were called and then hand-cuffed in pairs and instructed to stand in a line. Occasionally, the cops would direct some into one of the dungeons. Then at some point, everyone who was called was no longer being cuffed, but was being directed into the dungeon(s). I was one of those.

Another hour or so passed, and at about 1:45, we were let out of the dungeons. I am not sure we were called again, but up some stairs we went in pairs. I realised that if one knew the layout of the court building, one could easily have escaped at this point. Anyway, we reached the courtroom and were packed in. I guess we were 300 or so.
I was a bit suprised with the great respect(fear) the policemen seemed to have for the young-looking magistrate.
Actually the magistrate looked like a guy who used to live near where us in my younger days. I wasn't sure it was him, and I am not sure how fast one can make magistrate. The neighbour I had in mind would probably be under 35.

Again, and of course, names were called out in sets of about 5 or sometimes less.
Most accusations were not using a seatbelt, touting ("kupiga kelele ukiita abiria" = making noise while calling passengers), working as a conductor/driver while not having a conductor's/driver's uniform, not having a badge etc.
Most guys pleaded guilty. The seatbelt guys like me were fined 300/= (about USD 4.5) with the option of 2 days in jail.
The other offences attracted 1,000/= (about USD 14) , 2,000/= or 3,000/= fine or a longer jail term.
One guy denied the charge that he did not have a work badge, and he produced it. The judge examined it and the accused was discharged of that particular charge.
One guy pleaded not guilty and the judge set bail and a hearing was to be the next day.
One guy asked for clemency on the grounds that he was a student at the Kenya Institute of Management, but there was no mercy.

Some guy was caught apparently talking on his phone. The lady prosecutor asked the magistrate that the phone be handed

over to the state. The judge declined, saying the guy may be caught again. He then pronounced the guy guilty of contempt of court, and sentenced him to 14 days without the optionm of a fine.

I paid my 300/= and left about 3:30pm.