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Mwiki buses impounded over death of varsity student


The National Transport and Safety Authority on Tuesday impounded over 60 matatus belonging to the Mwiki Matatu Sacco after one of its mini-buses crushed a university student to death.

The mini-buses, most of which belong to the Mwiki Services Limited (MSL) bus company, are scheduled for inspection at the Authority’s vehicle inspection unit grounds on Likoni Road.

“The top management of NTSA led by Director-General Francis Meja will this afternoon at 2.30 p.m. inspect the entire fleet to ascertain vehicular road-worthiness and the suitability of the drivers,” read a press statement from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure.

One of the Sacco’s mini-buses, KBS 389Y driven by Patrick Irungu Gaita, crushed a final year University of Nairobi student Cecilia Njeri Gicheha to death on Friday night outside Tuskys Beba Beba.

The Isuzu Mini bus had an insurance cover set to expire Monday, a trend that police have said is popular among public service vehicles that prefer short term insurance covers so as to evade such responsibility.

The student was sandwiched between the MSL bus and another vehicle whose driver fled the scene but was later arrested.

Both drivers were released on cash bail pending investigations.

The matatu terminal on Tom Mboya street where the accident occurred is not a designated stage in Nairobi County, but police say all the matatu operators pay Sh5,250 to the county government every month.

The impounding of the MSL mini-buses led to a fare hike by the two other bus companies that also operate on the route.