Footage has emerged of a motorist ramming into cyclists along Kiambu Road in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, February 12.
The unsettling video angered Kenyans who immediately launched a manhunt for the perpetrator.
Following the incident, two cyclists were left sprawling on the asphalt, as the unidentified driver drove off hurriedly.
"Si mtushikie tu huyu mtu ,he or she did not have the courtesy to stop and find out kama ameumiza mtu. (Help us find this driver, he or she did not have the courtesy to find out if anyone was hurt)," Odhiambo Suhudu captioned the video he shared on Twitter.
Netizens went through the video frame by frame to capture the vehicle's registration number, which they then went on to share on social media platforms to bring the errant driver to justice.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) was also roped into the incident, with Kenyans hoping that after identifying KCV 415H as the registration number, the detectives would swiftly nab the owner of the vehicle.
Kenyans have since gone on to conduct a search and identified the owner of the vehicle as Maurice Kamau Kamotho, going on to share his NTSA details.
"There is a campaign now on cycling, how is this done and yet there is impunity like this? We are not yet there. Unless we get to the basics of punishing such guys. This is wrong. Cycling is among 1,000 ways to die," Siongok Denis shared on Twitter.
Lively Debate
This sparked a debate on who was to blame following the near-death experience. Some felt that the cyclists should not have been on the main road, while others argued that the two victims were on the very edge of the road.
"Cycling nowadays is done on main roads ama kuna njia za kucycle," Timothy Musyoki posted on Twitter.
"Those bikes are extremely at the edge. You would have to be absolutely inconsiderate to even glaze them," Murage James replied.
Mwangi Richard gave his thoughts on the debate by stating that, "Cycling on narrow roads should be banned. Kiambu Road at that hour is busy and dangerous for cyclists. Cyclists and boda boda are not licensed road users."
The Kenya Traffic Act is unclear on rules regarding cyclists. Nairobi Women Representative Esther Passaris, one of the most vocal proponents of designating cycling lanes in the capital.
Final Verdict
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Citizen TV anchor Victoria Rubadiri - a cycling enthusiast, affirmed that the law regarding cyclists was vague, and shared recommendations by the UN.
"Seven out of ten people in Nairobi walk or take a matatu to work (World Bank). There is no national policy on walking and cycling. It is now mandatory that all new and improved roads have non-motorized transport components," she spoke on the phone.
This comes barely a day after disturbing footage of a lady -Winnie Wanjiku Maina, getting run over by a matatu on Mama Ngina Street in Thika went arrival on Tuesday, February 11.
Watch the unsettling footage of the incident below:
