On May 8, 2024, Varsha Gandikota, General Coordinator of the Progressive International, was confronted with an abusive situation at the Senegalese airport as she was preparing to board a Kenya Airways flight. After registering, she was stopped at passport control where a police officer improperly demanded a vaccination card from her, demanding $150 for lack of documentation.
Despite the presentation of a digital copy of his vaccination certificate, the police officer remained inflexible, refusing to consult it and persisting in his demand for payment. Faced with the absence of a receipt despite her insistence, Ms. Gandikota had to resolve to pay the requested amount without proof of transaction to guarantee her departure at the scheduled time.
This incident raises questions about the integrity of procedures at the airport and highlights an abuse of power damaging to Senegal’s image. The inaction in the face of this obvious corruption and the coercion suffered by Madam Gandikota arouse indignation and call for an urgent review of current practices.
