A woman died after jumping out of a moving 14-seater matatu which lost brakes while ferrying passengers from Karatina to Embu.
The matatu reportedly lost its brakes after passing Kagumo Town within Kirinyaga County, and the driver was able to control it for a distance of about 10 kilometres before it landed on the farm at Gitwe near Kirinyaga University with no more fatalities and injuries.
The driver of the matatu that operates under 4NTE Sacco pleaded with passengers not to jump or open the windows as he tried to control the vehicle, but out of fear, two people, a boy and a woman, jumped out with the woman, who jumped out near the Kerugoya Boys gate, dying on the spot while the boy escaped with minor injuries.
The road users said the matatu passed through the busy Kerugoya town on high speed, which raised the alarm as the doors were open.
The 4NTE matatu Sacco manager in Kerugoya, Samwel Kamau, said the driver did his best to control the vehicle, and those who remained are all safe. He said the driver at some point passed in between 2 vehicles, damaging side mirrors and plucking out the passenger door.
“The driver did his best as he managed to manoeuvre the busy Kerugoya town; those who stayed in the vehicle came out unhurt after it stopped. We are following up on what happened,” he said.
Kirinyaga County Head of Fire Disaster Management, John Kiama, said the screams from the passengers were initially confused with those emanating from mourners in the neighbouring Kirinyaga Referral Hospital mortuary, but after they confirmed it was an emergency, they followed the car and found the body of a lady lying on the road near Kerugoya Boys, then a few meters away was the vehicle side door.
They contacted the police base commander and ambulance to carry the body to the Kerugoya General Hospital.
Kiama urged the drivers to carry out regular inspections of their vehicles to avert such incidents in addition to avoiding overspeeding.
“To drivers, always take your vehicles for full inspection, especially long-distance vehicles. Also avoid driving at high speed,” Kiama said.
By Mutai Kipngetich