Police officers from Starehe Sub-County on Monday, March 13, identified James Ogola - a Nairobi-based mechanic- as the driver of the Mercedes Benz S300 which hit a wall in the Pangani Tunnel along Thika Road and subsequently burst into flames.
According to Starehe Sub-County Police Commander Fred Abuga, the mechanic was driving his client's vehicle when he rammed into a concrete wall some minutes past midnight on Sunday, March 12.
The news caused an uproar on social media with the majority of Kenyans seeking to establish the motive for the mechanic to be driving his client's car at midnight.
Others also shared some of the experiences they encountered when dealing with mechanics.
"This is how a friend lost an E280 we had just sold to him. While in the mechanic's hands, he decided to drive it home and it suddenly experienced a short circuit and burst into flames along Thika road," a user stated.
"These mechanics are notorious for suspicious behaviour. I have a friend who placed a mechanic behind bars because he took his car home and lied to him that the vehicle went missing outside the garage," read a comment from Ruth Wambui.
"I've ever met a mechanic in a wedding convoy carrying the bride with my w124 while I was told it would be ready on Monday," Tim Choge pointed out.
"I saw a story of a guy who left his car a the garage on Friday then met his mechanic with it in church on Sunday," Ken Kibera added.
Owner's Side of the Story
Speaking to the media, Joanne Muthoni, the owner of the Benz S300, affirmed that she had taken the car for repairs on Thursday, March 9.
She expressed her gratitude to those who reached out to her after the accident made headlines. She, however, expressed grief for the mechanic who died on the spot.
“I have received overwhelming love and I thank everyone that has tried to reach me. My phone has been ringing non-stop, and I still have some missed calls that I have not responded to. However, I feel so sad that he lost his life,” she stated.
On whether she had given the go-ahead for the mechanic to drive the vehicle around, Muthoni affirmed that the mechanic was doing his job.
“If there was a need to do a test drive, it’s okay," she stated.
