This blogger is a journalist and likes anything journalism… anything FACT rather.

Greetings. I hope all of you have survived the ‘Guinness-world-record’ Twitter Space.

The ongoing ‘social media’ debate about alleged sexual harassment cases in the course of Miss Rwanda beauty pageant is simply misplaced and isn’t helping anyone – not the public, not the victims and justice the latter deserve.

While it’s a good thing to debate issues, raise awareness and expose wrongs of the society, what we have seen so far is some of us taking the public for a ride on emotions, and claims they have wrongs to expose but ended up not exposing anything, and I mean nothing.

They claimed ‘kumena umuceri’ (to uncover facts) but only served rumors, hearsay i.e: You know I was told. Someone sent me a text saying xyz and the likes. I talked to so and so who linked me with more people, just that.

Timing 

Amid questions over whether or not to swallow the claims as founded for lack of basis, they had ceased to make rounds.
But when the story broke Tuesday that head of Rwanda Inspiration Backup, the company that organises Miss Rwanda beauty pageant had been arrested over sexual abuse towards the contestants, our good friends shelved plans to sleep.

They jumped on to SPACE, yet again claiming to ‘expose.’  It will go down in history of Spaces as the longest. But no one is telling the public the value the debate adds, or at least how the ‘exposé’ and the reported arrest are linked.

Are they now telling us the person arrested is guilty? Or thanks to their ‘outstanding’ work the culprit is finally being handled? Are they uncovering fresh facts to help the work being done by State investigative organs, and doing so on social media? It is not clear, to me at least.

But a few pointers show they are not simply expressing their opinions or disseminating the news. Here is why:

Why take to social media to trash the reputation of a suspect under investigation, and say things suggesting he is guilty? Not just him, you are dragging in the mud those in the institution he headed and associates without tangible facts. Why not let the justice do its work?

Reckless claims

You say so and so called someone to come to a hotel and no doubt matters ‘horizontal’ happened, really? How do you know? And I ask: Which hotel? What time was it? Which room number? Any confirmation the person in question booked into the hotel that day? Was he seen around? With whom? Who else did he meet? 

You say girls are trafficked without telling where, how and by whom? You are just told. You say the girls have become prostitutes, and you go ahead to name, shame and claim that so and so does what she does at Miss Rwanda because she sleeps with so and so. 

These are serious allegations that you can’t level against anyone just that recklessly.

You are talking about people who have families, businesses, jobs and most of all need respect. I’m not saying you shouldn’t expose, and I’m not saying that all is well at the Miss Rwanda organizing firm. The question is where are your facts?

Personal grudges

On the look of things, some of the people taking us for a ride are either engaged in conflict of interest or have personal grudges over current, past or desired engagements with the Miss Rwanda organizing firm.

Many who once became darlings of the organizers but later fell out, and those who have set eyes on the monies in the contest but can’t find way in there team up to fight, discredit everything Miss Rwanda.

There are documented stories of those who, on occasions, threatened to spill the beans when they were dropped by the pageant contest organisers. Re-hiring them would buy their silence.

Apparently, there are countless holes to patch in the contest. Good enough the investigative organs of the State are attending to the matter.

Did I hear some newsroom sat, examined the claims and realised available pieces of evidence would not  suffice to substantiate the sexual harassment claims? Did I hear It would necessitate that they deploy an undercover reporter to the pageant next time if they were to tell the story with tangible facts?

Now, why seem like trying to outshine the justice? Who should we believe: You or the outcome of the ongoing investigation by relevant authorities? 

Dear journalists, a person’s guilt is decided by the courts not by social media.

Journalism and ‘Gutwika’ are never compatible. The two words can’t even cohabitate in the same sentence.