A fatal collision between a matatu and a motorcycle on the busy Nairobi-Nakuru highway sparked violent protests Wednesday, as enraged boda boda riders set the minibus ablaze and brought traffic to a standstill for hours.
The incident occurred in the Gitaru area when the 14-seater matatu, belonging to NNK SACCO, struck and killed a 22-year-old boda boda operator who was delivering a carpet. Witnesses reported that the driver was attempting to make a turn at an unsafe spot when the vehicle hit the rider, killing him instantly.
Within minutes, fellow motorcycle taxi operators flooded the scene. Chanting angrily and demanding justice, the crowd first blocked the highway before dousing the matatu with flammable liquid and setting it on fire. Thick, black smoke billowed into the sky as the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames, with stranded motorists looking on helplessly. No police or fire responders were visible during the initial blaze.
The destruction of the matatu is the latest in a troubling series of vigilante actions by boda boda riders following fatal accidents. Just days earlier, on December 22, a Mash Poa bus was torched along the Nakuru–Mau Summit road in Salgaa after a collision that claimed the life of a rider.
Community leaders and transport associations have expressed growing concern over the trend of mob justice, which bypasses official investigations and often escalates violence. “While the pain of losing one of our own is deep, taking the law into our own hands destroys property, endangers lives, and undermines the justice system,” said Samuel Kariuki, a representative of a local boda boda association. “We urge calm and cooperation with authorities.”
Police later arrived to disperse the crowd and restore order on the highway, which had been completely paralyzed during the protest. No arrests were immediately reported, and an investigation into the original accident is underway.
The incident has renewed calls for improved road safety measures, clearer designated turning points, and faster response protocols from law enforcement to prevent grief from spiraling into public unrest.
