Civility demands we respect rights of others

The law of the jungle could be entrenched if the police do not move in, arrest and prosecute the goons who have arrogated to themselves the role of public morality watchmen.

The thugs have taken it upon themselves to strip and violently attack women they perceive to be indecently dressed, or perhaps "dressed to provoke".

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Keriako Tobiko, has issued instructions to the police to swing into action and get those behind the attacks arrested and charged. But, almost a week after the incident, the police are yet to make any arrests.

The vice continues with reports of more women being assaulted in Mombasa and Nairobi despite a public outcry and demonstrations by women seeking protection.

Nobody has the moral authority to force others to dress or conform to what they consider to be their moral dressing standards.

And while we advocate for women to dress decently in public, we recognise we all have inalienable rights to express ourselves as we wish and know that it is the work of the Government to protect those rights.

Those men who assaulted the helpless woman at a bus stop in Nairobi do not represent the majority in our society.

They form part of a sickening and disturbing trend that needs to be nipped in the bud.

The trend implies that impunity reigns supreme and as long as no arrests are made and the culprits brought to book, the vice will continue. The police need to send a strong message that it is wrong and criminal to attack anyone because you are aggrieved by the way they are dressed.

The Kenya of the 21st Century abhors intolerance and that should be made clear to those who attacked the helpless women.

Even worse are the men who stood by and watched as the woman was being assaulted.

They should have been in the front line to protect the victim.

Unless we demonstrate that the law protects all of us and that impunity has no room in our society, it will be difficult to proclaim that we are building an egalitarian society.