Police are investigating an incident in which a 14-seater matatu was set on fire on Wednesday after it fatally struck a boda boda rider at the Gitaru Interchange in Kikuyu, Kiambu County.
According to authorities, the matatu hit and killed a 22-year-old boda boda rider who was reportedly delivering a carpet at the time of the accident. Witnesses said the vehicle was making a turn at an unsafe spot when it collided with the motorcycle.
The incident sparked outrage among fellow boda boda operators, who accused the matatu driver of reckless driving. In protest, the riders blocked the busy Nairobi–Nakuru highway, disrupting traffic for several hours before setting the matatu ablaze.
The matatu driver fled the scene immediately after the crash, fearing for his safety.
Police later arrived at the scene and restored order, while the body of the deceased rider was taken to the mortuary pending a post-mortem examination. The burnt vehicle was towed to a nearby police station as investigations commenced.
Authorities have confirmed that investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the accident.
The incident adds to a growing list of similar cases across the country, where angry boda boda riders have taken the law into their own hands following fatal road accidents. Recent occurrences in Salgaa and Nairobi’s Embakasi area have seen buses and minibuses torched under comparable circumstances.