By Bonface Mulyungi

The family of a 19-year-old Kenya Medical Training College student is demanding justice following the death of their son who was allegedly thrown out of a moving matatu along Thika Road.

The incident has sparked outrage and renewed concerns over passenger safety in the public transport sector.

‎The student, identified as Eugene Mutuku, was reportedly attached to a hospital in Kasarani and was travelling to work when the tragedy occurred.

‎Police in Kasarani confirmed the incident and said the vehicle involved has been impounded as investigations continue.

‎One motorist who was driving behind the bus and rushed to assist after the incident said he witnessed the student being ejected from the vehicle before being run over.

‎According to reports, Mutuku was allegedly involved in a dispute over bus fare balance before the incident occurred, although police had not officially confirmed the circumstances surrounding the student’s fall from the vehicle by Friday evening.

Mutuku died while receiving treatment at Kenyatta National Hospital. The matatu was later found abandoned in Kariokor area within Nairobi, while the driver and conductor remain at large. Police say they have arrested two officials of a Nicco Sacco over the incident.

According to his elder brother, the 19-year-old had travelled to Nairobi on Sunday to begin his attachment at a health facility along Thika Road, only for tragedy to strike just days later.

“Eugene woke up in the morning, came to my place, took a shower and told me he had no fare. I gave him transport because I was also heading to work around 8 a.m. I later received a call from someone who said his name was Joseph, the one who had picked Eugene,” said Emmanuel Mutuku, brother to the deceased.

According to the family, the 19-year-old sustained severe injuries after what they believe was a push out of a moving matatu along Thika Road following an altercation over fare change with the conductor.

“Nimeona watu wakisema alikuwa amekosa fare, lakini si fare alikuwa amekosa. Nilifika aliniambia makanga ndio alimrusha na kama walikuwa wanavurugana kuhusu change yake. Baadaye nikaona online watu wanazungumza the same kuhusu huyo conductor,” said Emmanuel Mutuku.

After the incident, the driver and conductor of the vehicle allegedly drove away and abandoned the matatu in Kariokor. Officers at Kasarani Police Station towed the vehicle and have since launched a manhunt for the crew, who are on the run and are believed to have switched off their phones.

Police are also looking for passengers who were in the matatu to assist with investigations as the family demands speedy action.

“I have seen people say he did not have fare, but that is not true. When I arrived, he told me the makanga threw him out,” added Emmanuel Mutuku.

Boniface Musyoka, a cousin of the deceased, also confirmed the family’s shock over the incident.

A postmortem is expected to be conducted on Monday as investigations continue.

‎The death has now triggered widespread condemnation from leaders and members of the public, with many questioning how such an incident could occur in a vehicle carrying dozens of passengers.

‎Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina described the incident as a reflection of a society losing its moral compass.

‎”We have such a morally depraved society,” she said.

‎”If a student can be thrown out of a moving PSV, in the full glare of the people who were near him, for being unable to pay Sh20, may the good Lord have mercy on us.”

‎The death of the student is the latest in a string of incidents involving passengers falling or allegedly being pushed from moving public service vehicles, raising concerns about safety standards in the matatu industry.

‎In February this year, a passenger, Joseph Mureithi, died after allegedly being ejected from a moving matatu along the Nairobi-Namanga highway in Athi River. Witnesses claimed the vehicle’s crew pushed him out following a dispute before the same vehicle ran over him. Police arrested the driver and conductor as investigations commenced. 

‎In March 2025, another incident sparked public outrage after Gilbert Kimani allegedly died after being thrown from a moving matatu along Thika Road following a dispute over a Sh30 fare balance. 

‎Witnesses claimed he was run over by the vehicle after falling onto the road. 

‎The courts have also dealt with similar cases. 

‎This week, a High Court sentenced a matatu driver and conductor to 10 years in prison each over the 2018 death of college student Doreen Kinya, who suffered fatal injuries after falling from a speeding matatu on Thika Road. 

‎The court found the crew had acted with reckless disregard for passenger safety. 

‎In another case, a Nairobi matatu tout was charged in 2020 after allegedly forcing a passenger out of a moving bus following a disagreement over fare reimbursement, leaving the victim with serious injuries.