A driving instructor in Mombasa, identified as Swaleh had broken his silence after a video of him during a practical class with a student went viral. Mombasa driving instructor Swaleh seeks forgiveness after viral outburst. The clip attracted mixed reactions online, with some questioning his mode of teaching while others said it was the best way to instil road discipline in drivers. However, the man felt remorseful and decided to apologise to Kenyans over the unpleasant incident. He started by showing mercy to the young man who recorded him without his permission, noting that he held no grudges. “I want to say sorry to our parents and elders who saw the video, my employers, colleagues and everyone else who came across it. At some point all of us as humans make mistakes but it is good if we acknowledge our wrongs and apologise,” he said.
Swaleh promised that there would not be a repeat of such an incident in future. He also said he forgave social media users who were mean to him on the comments section and appreciated those who encouraged him. What did Swaleh do? Swaleh was captured chewing miraa (khat) while sitting on the co-driver’s seat in the car. He was instructing one of his students in a practical lesson when he had an outburst. He lashed out at the young student for almost knocking down a motorbike, saying that’s how people get arrested on the roads. He hurled a few light insults at the student, prompting a wide range of online reactions. “You are seeing someone in front of you, instead of moving a side, you are busy following him, what is wrong with you? Step on the clutch you do not have sense. Why would you follow that bike and he has parked with gear number four,” he stated as he mixed unprintable words in between.
The young man who recorded him said his intention was not to make the diving instructor go viral. Mombasa man Swaleh, went viral after scolding student during driving lesson. Photo: Riaz Nazir. Source: TikTok Who recorded Swaleh’s driving outburst? He explained that Swaleh was only being himself by lightening the mood while they learnt out to drive and never meant what he said. “I shared the clip on my Instagram then someone pulled it from there and shared it. I want to apologise to my teacher for causing all this. He is a good teacher and many misinterpreted the video,” he said. He also called on the driving school not to take disciplinary action against Swaleh noting that he is a responsible and loving teacher who teaches in his own unique way. How did netizens react to Swaleh’s apology? Many people, including social media users and blogs, showed support for Swaleh, praising his teaching style and forgiving the incident. Havila playhouse blogs: “Such a teacher helps save life and avoid so much accidents. Mwambie tunampenda.”
Jea: “Tumekusamehe lakini wakati mwingine ukiwa kazini tumia lugha yenye adabu.” Raphael kamenya: “What I can say apologies accepted but the instructor is very much correct manake lazma mtu apitie hard way Barabara si rahisi na kma dereva lzma utakutna na mambo kama hayo one mistake kwa barabara huwa ni hatari so keep up swaleh hujafanya baya.” user3956149169245: “Unik driving school please msimfute huyu mwalimu please he is the best.” user3096772671857: “Everybody has his own way of teaching, you are a good teacher, I had a teacher in a cartain institution ukiosa kujibu swalli, ulikuwa utatolewa nje un.”
By Lynn-Linzer Kibebe
