You cook every day, but instead of eating at home, your child prefers to eat at the neighbour’s. When you catch them, you punish them and warn them not to do it again. Despite the punishments, they continue to go there. They eventually start taking their younger siblings with them. And no matter how hard you try to warn the younger ones, the habit persists. So, would you look for even harsher punishments, or would you take the time to observe and understand why they prefer the neighbour’s food over yours? We could continue with fictitious scenarios, but someone advised me to call a spade a spade. It is no secret that many Rwandans have driving licenses from neighbouring countries such as Uganda and DRC, despite the fact that Rwanda produces its own driving permits. While it is understandable for the older generation that, given the country’s history and the impact of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi, they could’ve had some of their first official documents in foreign countries, away from home. Their first permits, among other things. But what about the younger generation, the post-genocide generation, who were born, raised, and educated in Rwanda? Why would their first permits be from somewhere else? It is worth noting that being born and raised somewhere does not necessarily imply getting everything from the same place. International permit licenses, like citizenship, are obtained after meeting the requirements demanded by the specific country. However, it may or may not be common knowledge that one can easily corrupt their way into obtaining a driving permit from some neighbouring countries. And, unlike Rwanda, one does not have to go through rigorous testing. It’s possible that people simply want an easy way out. Like the kid who would eat at the neighbour’s because they cooked meat when all he had at home was beans. Hence, we should probably simply accept that people will never see things the same way and that some will always find a way to cheat their way into a softer life. Or it may be time for those in charge to look inward and ascertain whether the problem is not coming from within. To ensure that, even if it is only beans being cooked at home, it’s well cooked and not just half boiled and left for the eater to struggle with. Rwanda has a valid point. People’s knowledge of road use, traffic and safety rules, and car manoeuvres, in general, should all be tested before being provided with a driver’s license. Hopefully, it should also reduce the recent spate of terrifying car accidents we’ve been witnessing. But does it have to be stringent either? We’ve all heard the joke about how people rarely pass on their first trial in this country. Driver’s license exams in Rwanda are often characterised by long queues, numerous hours of waiting, and a high probability of failure, hence the need to retake the exams over and over again. On any given driving permit exam day, thousands of people show up, eager to take the tests, which usually begin around 8 am. But according to Rwanda National Police, which is in charge of overseeing the tests and issuing licenses, only 30% of all participants pass the test on average, with the majority of them retaking the test up to four times. ALSO READ: Why is it difficult to get a driver’s license? I’m well aware that this may lead to debates about whether the strictest schools, with the most difficult exams to pass, are always the best. Or whether the less rigorous the school, the fewer the intellects. But the real question is whether the parent is unfairly punishing the child for wanting food from neighbour’s when the problem could be food from home. Perhaps if the cuisine was reviewed, the child would be content to eat at home. Among stated examples of challenges that prevent people from passing the tests is the use of manual cars, which causes some to give up, opt for a foreign-acquired license, or, worse, drive without a permit, despite the high risks involved. Good thing, last year, the Ministry of Infrastructure announced that the law governing driving license tests would be amended by the end of the fiscal year 2022/23, allowing for the use of cars with automatic transmissions during driving tests to obtain a driver’s license. ALSO READ: Driver’s licences for automatic vehicles to be issued next year But that’s not all. Rwanda does not need to ask others how they make their soup, but rather to make its own more delicious. Basically, to review all the country’s driving permit guidelines if need be.
