Kenyans were angered on Saturday, January 28, after a mother and her child sustained injuries shortly after boarding a matatu in Muthaiga along Thika Road. The public service vehicle was headed to Roysambu in Nairobi.
According to the lady, she boarded the matatu while holding her son but the vehicle sped off before she could sit down or hold on to a seat.
Consequently, her son fell to the ground on his knees and as she tried to pick him up, her hand was severely bruised. The matatu was allegedly speeding off while in competition with another vehicle on the busy highway
Her efforts to get an apology or an explanation from the tout were futile claiming that the tout shouted her down.
"I questioned why they did not wait for me to sit down but the tout was rude and was shouting at me," she narrated.
The passenger further noted that she was taking her son to the Kenya Institute of Special studies in Kasarani Constituency in Nairobi County when the incident happened.
In a bid to seek justice, she reported the matter at the Pangani Police Station and the Sacco's main offices in Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD).
Kenyans, soon after, called on the government to intervene and oversee the employment of touts in the transport industry to avoid a repeat of harassment cases.
"So sad, they chose money over human life. This matatu sector needs to be reformed," one user suggested.
However, others accused passengers of complaining without taking any action noting, "Kenyans complain today, murmur tomorrow then board the vehicle the next day."
On the other hand, some shared similar experiences with rogue touts and matatus. They urged passengers to be cautious while boarding matatus in Nairobi.
Additionally, physics experts argued that the driver abruptly hit the brakes causing her and the son to fall forward - a situation worsened by the vehicle's acceleration that could have propelled them in the opposite direction.
However, Kenyans.co.ke established that the Sacco had reached out to the victim for further discussion on the incident which subsequently led her to agree to drop the charges filed at the Pangani Police Station.
