A 14-seater matatu was set on fire on Wednesday, December 31, by angry boda boda riders following a fatal accident along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway in Gitaru.
The accident claimed the life of a 22-year-old motorcycle operator who was reportedly delivering a carpet when the incident occurred.
According to witnesses, the matatu, which is believed to be operated by NNK SACCO, hit the boda boda rider while attempting to make a turn at a dangerous location on the highway.
The impact killed the young rider instantly, sparking fury among his fellow motorcycle operators in the area.
In a swift reaction, the enraged boda boda riders blocked the busy highway and proceeded to torch the vehicle, causing significant traffic disruption along the primary route.
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Visual footage from the incident showed the vehicle destroyed by fire, while onlookers stood at a distance observing the burning wreckage.
This incident mirrors a similar occurrence that took place on December 22 along the same Nairobi-Nakuru highway in the Salgaa area of Nakuru County.
In that case, angry motorcycle operators set fire to a 65-seater bus traveling to Kampala after its driver allegedly ran over two people who were on a motorbike, resulting in their immediate deaths.
The Salgaa incident also resulted in the bus being destroyed, reduced to nothing more than a metallic shell, although no additional injuries were reported from the fire itself.
Witnesses said some riders smashed the bus windows before setting it on fire, forcing pedestrians to flee the scene. The bus driver reportedly escaped unharmed, while traffic remained at a standstill for more than two hours.
Following that incident, the Motorists Association of Kenya (MAK) issued a strong condemnation of the violence. It urged the National Police Service to pursue and prosecute those responsible for the destruction.
