A hawker died on Friday morning after he was hit by a matatu near the OTC area in Nairobi while reportedly fleeing from Nairobi City County enforcement officers.
The man was selling black coffee and mandazi to pedestrians and matatu crews along Ronald Ngala Street, according to witnesses.
Witnesses said the hawker had just bought supplies for the day’s business when he was confronted by county enforcement officers.
He allegedly fled after the confrontation, with the officers reportedly pursuing him.
The hawker then ran onto the road, where he was hit by a passing matatu.
One witness said the man’s items, including cups and a thermal kettle, had been confiscated before he ran.
“He died on the spot from the impact,” the witness said.
The incident happened at about 6am outside St Peter Claver’s Catholic Church, leaving blood on the busy road as morning traffic continued.
Volunteers who moved the body from the road to the pavement reportedly spread waste around the scene to prevent vehicles from spreading the blood along the road.
The body remained at the scene until about 7:30am when police arrived, according to witnesses.
The circumstances surrounding the death were not immediately clear, with police expected to establish what happened before the fatal collision.
Investigators are also expected to establish the identity of the matatu and its driver and determine what happened immediately before the hawker entered the road.
CCTV footage from businesses and buildings around Ronald Ngala Street, dashcam recordings and eyewitness accounts could help investigators trace the vehicle and establish the sequence of events.
The Traffic Act requires a driver involved in an accident resulting in injury or damage to stop and provide identification when required.
Where an accident involves injury, the driver is required to report it to police as soon as reasonably possible and within 24 hours.
The incident is likely to renew questions about the enforcement of county laws against hawkers in Nairobi, particularly the risks faced by traders and other road users during enforcement operations.