A man reported to be a final-year medical student died Friday morning after he was allegedly thrown from a moving public service vehicle and run over 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.
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.
