The deaths of Kipkalya Kones, Lorna Laboso and others in a plane crash in Kajiado North came as a shock to many people. And also as a blow to their families, the government of Kenya and the ODM party in particular. Plane crashes are never a good thing and nobody wants to think of them because we still have to travel somehow. May I take this opportunity to express my condolences to the families of the bereaved.
I was more than shocked to read in the Daily Nation that some villagers of Konjong’a village where the plane crashed actually rummaged through the pockets of the dead and stole money and guns. I’m no expert in matters aviation but I know that most times bodies break apart on impact. The degree of disintegration depends on several factors which we shall leave to the physics experts. What we do know is that in some cases the impact of a crash can shatter ribs and other bones, making them sharp missiles that then pierce into vital organs and even through the skin to the outside. In other cases hitting the ground at high speed causes the major internal organs to be pushed against the spine and ribcage at a pressure they can not possibly withstand and they end up getting liquefied in the body. In short bodies at a plane crash sight must be nothing short of grotesque.
For someone to then sift through the debris, locate the bodies and go through their pockets? That must be a morbid thief extraordinaire. And let’s not even blame poverty or lack of education for such kinds of acts. A thief is a thief is a thief. The average human being is afraid of death, dying and the sight of dead bodies. But obviously some people have no such feelings. What happened to the days when young men used to actually work hard for a living? Now many of them sit back and expect free lunch, all the while blaming the government for their own laziness.
There’re many things one can do if they stumbled on a crash site but rummaging through the pockets must be the uncoolest of them all.
14 Comments:
Shiko, though it's a sad story to read, I think this immorality act of stealing from the dead is, happening, every where in the world. Ever heard of this story? “French policeman steals from dead crash victim”, see link…http://current.com/items/89000792_french_policeman_steals_from_dead_crash_victim_goes_to_pot_europe_cannabis_news I am told here in Kenya our policemen are no angles if they report at crash sites before other good Samaritans.
BP thanks for the link. Shame on that policeman. But at least there in France it seems when they get caught they're jailed. Here the forces are already tarnished.
its immoral but wanjiku i steal blame poverty...poverty and poverty. honest
they went there, hoping to find something, just something, from these rich people's belongings, maybe something they could sell, to get money, to eat. its just poverty ama do you see it in any other way?
if this crash was in some posh area , do you think those the poele there would run to grab sth, i dont think so...sijui, but it seems its just poverty.
Neema, I think it is not poverty to blame. There are many people very poor in kenya and they don't steal, even, from a living person forget about dead ones. BTW what do you say of the french police officer..is it a bout poverty too?..see the above link
I'm sure the wreckage was searched for valuables by raia, as for the corpses I dont know but if they were then that would be very morbid conduct.
As for the plight of young men, those who want to work or start their own businesses can't so they turn to any foul means to survive and their desparation makes them the worst people you want to run in on the wrong day.
Aiii Neema not poverty. They may be poor but that does not give them a ticket to steal! Young men these days dont want to work. They want easier ways to make cash. Did you know that a lot of the robber and car jackers around are very young men from middle class families? Not from poor families.
Other than those corpse robbers, others instead of working hang around in shopping centers and matatu stage waiting for people to make money so they can take a share of it. But is they actually tried to do something it'll work out. It's all in their heads.
Acolate searching the wreckage is a little little bit understandable. But if they stole money then they must have got it from the pockets. And that might mean turning the body around! Oh no.
BP the French policeman - some of these people are just crazy.
Me blames poverty. Me not saying it's ok to steal from the dead, but me thinks saying they don't want to work is a little harsh. There's nothing for them to do, and even if there is, nepotism can not allow them to have it. There are no equal opportnities, in education and in employment. I hope the govt will not capitalise on what the youths are doing but how they can be assisted.
who is a better thief, one who steals million if shillings meant for poor people and stashes it in swiss accounts or the poor when they ransack his/her pockets upon death for a couple of hundreds? be the judge!!!
Nema, you might be right blaming the government for all our problems, but I am sure poverty won’t drive one to be so immoral, like stealing from dead people. BTW... How does stealing a government gun from a dead police officer help reduce the poverty level? Don’t you see that particular gun will just make the village more insecure for investors to do their daily business? Methinks with one illegal gun in the village will be more insecure, with less investors and thus the villagers will be poorer.In this case, can we still blame the government?
I think it is poverty and this making hay while the sun shines. If the villagers hadn't stolen, the police and investigators would still do the same. They might have seen their way out of poverty, temporarily. It is bad to steal, that one I know, sometimes the temptations just don't go especially when there is opportunity.
Anon a thief is a thief lakini this one who stashes our money into Swiss accounts is so much worse.
Maua/Bomseh I hear you.
Wanjiku, I'm with you on this one. Poverty or not, stealing from the victims is just plain immoral. You give a pretty vivid description of what the crash victims must have looked like. How one brings themselves to steal from such a mangled body is beyond me. If there were other belongings scattered about, fine. But not from the actual pocket of the grotesque looking body.
Then again, I've never been dirt poor, so I can't possibly imagine what desperation could drive me to do.
Wanjiku,thanks for passing by my humble abode.
Now my mum tells me when she was a student,there was some plane that fell on nyeri hill(ok I think if I remember well thats what its called),n since nearby is the nursing college,they went to save lives.
she tells me she had never seen anything like that,she met with people carrying arms off since they had gold watches on(the plane had tourists).
It looks like poverty does drive people to what may look to others as too much but for them,its survival at all costs.
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