A heartbreaking event unfolded on the Mwea-Embu Highway in Kirinyaga County, resulting in the death of a boda boda rider after a pickup truck loaded with miraa collided with his motorcycle.
The pickup, which was reportedly speeding from Meru to Nairobi, crashed into the motorcycle at Kianjiru, close to the Kianjiru Trading Centre.
In the wake of the accident, the driver and his passenger narrowly avoided serious injury, while furious locals retaliated by setting the pickup ablaze.
Eyewitness Peter Macharia described the collision as devastating, noting that the driver of the miraa truck dragged the rider for several meters along the busy road.
“The driver dragged the rider several meters from the scene,” Macharia recounted, visibly shaken by the traumatic incident.
As the vehicle burned, traffic police from the nearby Wanguru Police Station watched helplessly as tensions rose. “The police cannot control this crowd,” remarked Mary Wambui, a local resident who witnessed the chaos.
The scene left many in shock, with the crowd’s anger unmistakable.
Traffic along the Mwea-Embu Highway was severely disrupted for over two hours, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm, leaving commuters and transport operators stranded as vehicles were unable to navigate the area due to the blockage. Local resident Joseph Wanjohi noted, “Traffic police are struggling, but the angry residents claim this is the same pickup that killed two children in Ngurubani Town just weeks ago.”
David Irungu, the chairman of boda boda operators in Kimbimbi Trading Centre, confirmed that the deceased was a local rider. He extended his condolences to the family and urged for increased focus on road safety. “This is yet another tragic loss for our community, and it’s becoming a frequent occurrence. Action is needed,” Irungu stated.
The fatal accident has ignited outrage among residents, many of whom are calling for government intervention.
