Woman killed in Sh10 matatu dispute

Kawangware Residents torch Matatu [Photo: Standard/KWEYU]

By Cyrus Ombati

NAIROBI, KENYA: A 23-year old woman was killed after being thrown off a moving matatu over a Sh10 fare dispute in Nairobi’s Kawangware estate.

The incident sparked protests from locals who burnt the matatu.

The woman was thrown off a matatu after a Sh10 fare dispute and was ran over by an oncoming one at around 7am Monday.

According to eyewitnesses, the woman had Sh20 that she intended to pay as her fare to the city centre, but the tout told her the she had to pay Sh30.

This prompted an argument before the tout reportedly pushed her out of the moving vehicle. She fell on the road and was run over by an oncoming matatu.

The driver sped off leaving the one that ran over her at the scene. The crowd that had gathered at the scene started protesting and set the mini-bus on fire.

Police arrived at the scene after the crowd turned rowdy. Business was paralysed for hours as the youth engaged police in running battles.

Police said the driver of the matatu was arrested after he went to report the incident.

Dagoretti DC Cornelius Wamalwa who arrived at the scene appealed for calm saying they were tracing the matatu whose tout pushed the woman off.

The body of the unidentified woman was taken to the City mortuary.