General Paul Kagame saw something unusual in his iron-fisted republic on January 13, 2022. Motorcycle taxi drivers in Kigali City marched in protest. Such actions in Kagame’s Rwanda are unheard of. This action is targeting a popular mode of transport in Rwanda. The popularity of motorcycle taxis in Kigali and other Rwandan towns is due to the fact that automobile public transit is beyond most people, besides being largely nonexistent. What drove Rwandans to dare protest in the Kagame republic? Layers of taxes, forced contributions, ridiculous fees imposed on the sector, and all manner of fines that rise over RWF30,000 or US$30 has led to desperation. How will this rare protest end? Kagame has deployed his brutal security forces to end the protest. Stay tuned.
