- The words were spoken by a man protesting arrest by police and officials of the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) during a crackdown on drink-driving in December 2016.The video clip, captured by NTV two years ago, went viral on social media and has kept Kenyans laughing to date.
- Alex Sadi, now 52 years old, says he is not an alcoholic and that authorities should treat those they arrest respectfully.
- He is happy that President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered NTSA officials off the roads in 2018.
“When you catch me like a rat on the highway…” is a phrase that has become familiar to many in the country.
The words were spoken by a man protesting arrest by police and officials of the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) during a crackdown on drink-driving in December 2016.
The video clip, captured by NTV two years ago, went viral on social media and has kept Kenyans laughing to date.
One Annie W, in a comment on YouTube in May, said, “This will never get old.”
Perhaps it will not, and the man who made the hilarious statement still insists that it is unnecessary for NTSA officers to manhandle motorists.
In the clip, he tells the officials to stop “talking very big nonsense” and wasting their time, and notes that he had been driving for more than 20 years.
Meet Alex Sadi, now 52 years old, who says he is not an alcoholic.
NO ALCOHOLISM
Mr Sadi spends his days at a pharmacy tucked in the busy small town of Mtwapa.
“This is where I earn my living. People only know of the drunkard ‘guy’ from that video. I am not an alcoholic,” he says.
Mr Sadi recounts the fateful day of his arrest, saying he was heading from a pub at around 10.30pm after catching up with a friend.
“I took only two bottles of beer,” he says, an amount that he says does not exceed the limit.
“On my way home, I was manhandled by police officers who took me to the police station. I was released the following day by a Shanzu court on a Sh5,000 bond.”
QUIET LIFE
Mr Sadi, a father of five children – two sons and three daughters – says his day starts at 5.30am.
“I report at my work place by 6am and get home by 11pm. I am a man who respects my family a lot … I am so close to my wife,” he says.
The fourth born in a polygamous family of 12 hails from Chonyi in Kilifi and has been living in Mtwapa for the last 25 years.
He describes himself as a businessman who only visit the bar to “cut deals” before heading home.
“I do not do a lot with my life. In my little free time, I interact with people and work with some organisations to help needy but bright students especially here in Mtwapa,” says the chatty, cheerful man.
“CIVILISED ARREST”
Mr Sadi maintains that it was unnecessary for the NTSA officers to treat motorists in that manner.
“If anything, the manner in which they arrested people was worse than would be the case for rats. Those people only wanted to portray people like cartoons, which I am not,” he says.
He is happy that President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered the authority off the roads in 2018.
Mr Sadi wants motorists who disobey traffic rules to be subjected to a “civilised arrest”.
“No one but God can be in charge of my safety. Those officials should be on our roads to protect us but their approach is only a way to cause more accidents,” he says.
RESPECT
Mr Sadi further opines that beer consumption should be abolished if consumers will not to be respected.
“Someone who takes beer should not be portrayed as an enemy of the society. Some of us work hard for the society that we live in,” he added.
Mr Sadi, a fan of the Arsenal Football Club who only drinks Pilsner, is however keen to note that he does not advocate for the consumption of alcohol.
He adds that the viral video has neither affected him nor his family but alleges that it is being exploited for commercial gain.
He says he was informed of a company that had been using the clip to advertise a mobile phone.
“I have already sought services of a lawyer who is helping me to pursue the matter. I will not allow people to capitalise on me,” he says.
SOURCE: nation.co.ke
