Oh #Tanzania Police couple kissing taken more serious than bribery They got fired @JMakamba @MariaSTsehai @zittokabwe pic.twitter.com/HOAInCpiPC
— Edgar Mwakipesile (@mwakalyobi) October 9, 2014
Last week, a pair of Tanzanian police officers were fired, after a photo of them kissing went viral on the Internet.
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Another police officer, who innocently took the photo in Kagera, posted the pair kissing while they were on duty. The photo angered officials, prompting them to fire not only the pair, but also the photo-taker. The swift terminations spurred the hashtag #Tanzania, with many Tanzanians complaining that the firings were too harsh.
@mwakalyobi Harsh! Reprimand,ensure work separately from now on:YES!Sack:NO! In other news,stopd by traffic cop again yday 4 bribe #Tanzania — NakedCyclist (@NakedCyclist) October 14, 2014
And:
@mwakalyobi @JMakamba @MariaSTsehai @zittokabwe They deserved a reprimand, not outright sack…
— Philip Sarpong (@yawsarpong) October 14, 2014
Still, Regional Police Commander Henry Mwaibambe literally stuck to his guns (pun intended) by explaining that their decision to terminate the three officers was warranted.
“We followed all disciplinary procedures to make sure that they were given a chance to defend themselves,” he says. “The officer looking at the case was convinced there was compelling evidence against them, and that they had breached police code of conduct. That’s why they lost their jobs.”
Mwaibambe went on to say that contrary to what many critics may think, the kiss wasn’t the major offense. Instead, the fact that the kiss occurred in public and in uniform is why all of the officers involved are now unemployed.
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