Dear national police, in all humility, thank you for acknowledging that a mistake was done. However, this is beyond individualism, accountability should not be about individual police officers, the entire institution should be held accountable. We trust that there’s a chain of command upon which these police officers are acting.
And this rises more than just one concern,
It is not just about policing people’s appearances over vague standards that the law doesn’t clearly define, it is also about the recklessness with which these issues are handled which doesn’t only affect individuals but also erodes public trust of the police that we have always believed in.
The other greater danger is creating a culture where subjective morality is allowed to masquerade as law enforcement. Today it may be a woman’s dress-code but tomorrow what else will an officer decide is unacceptable? We come from diverse backgrounds and see things differently. We can’t enforce a law based on people’s emotions and outlook on life. As responsible citizens, we believe that a country should uphold certain values but values are strongest when they are shared principles, all we are asking for is clarity of which the Rwandan penal code punishes what you call public indecency.