Karume Riri

‘The Second Bus Conductor’

In 1993, Kevin Carter, a South African photojournalist on a freelance basis, set foot in Ayod, Sudan, on a mission to cover the raging famine there. Acting on the UN's call to create global awareness, Carter was also on assignment for the New York Times.

True to his mission, a moment unfolded right in front of his eyes. Kevin Carter was in place to capture his award-winning shot as a severely malnourished Sudanese child struggling to access a UN aid centre in Ayod fell short of strength and bowed to the ground. A hungry vulture was closely stalking by.

The New York Times published Carter's shot on March 26, 1993, and it won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in 1994.

But Carter’s photograph remains one of the most haunting images in photojournalism. It is argued that, despite journalistic constraints, Kevin Carter had a moral duty to step in and help.

Though the image did significantly raise global awareness of the famine, which led to increased humanitarian efforts, Carter himself never overcame the guilt of watching a suffering human stare at death without offering any help. Unable to overcome his trauma, Carter took his own life on July 27, 1994, aged 33. Not even winning the Pulitzer Prize would stop him from regressing into depression.

Carter may have done enough good as a journalist, creating awareness on humanitarian crises beyond measure, but his conscience smouldered at the reality of letting go of his chance to do more for a hapless human in need of urgent help as he watched only consumed to fulfil his job obligations.

But no job or activity is as important as saving a human life. That's it.

It's normally said that Carter's depression set in when one day during a phone-in programme interview, someone called in and asked him what happened to the little child. Innocently he replied, "I couldn't tell." Then the caller said, "I put it to you that there were two vultures on that day; one had a camera."

A few days ago, an almost similar case to this happened along Thika Rd when a conductor in one of the buses plying that route threw someone to his death because he lacked the required fare of 80 bob.

Despite the bus having other passengers on board, no one rose to save the situation.

The conductor may have been savage, but I put it to you there were two cutthroat groups on that bus. One wore a conductor's uniform, and the other a civilian one, seated, undisturbed by the problem of the other person.

© [email protected]