A matatu driver who allegedly went into hiding after a tragic crash that claimed three lives in Nairobi’s Industrial Area has finally been brought to court following a two-month police manhunt.
Sammy Murigi Maina appeared before Nairobi Magistrate Paul Mutai after his arrest, facing a catalog of serious charges linked to the June 3, 2026 night accident along Enterprise Road.
The prosecution told the court that Maina was behind the wheel of a Risen Sacco Isuzu minibus, registration KDU 887C, when he lost control while negotiating a roundabout near KCB Bank at around 8:00 PM.
The vehicle mounted the curb and flipped over across the road, instantly killing passengers Charles Brandy Wahome, Tamia Kalekye Nyambura, and Edwin Kago, while leaving two others, Eugene Ongundi and Dominic Mulwa, with severe injuries.
Maina faces three counts of causing death by dangerous driving under Section 46 of the Traffic Act, alongside two counts of driving without due care and attention. Prosecutors also charged him with operating an un-roadworthy motor vehicle, presenting the court with a alarming list of illegal modifications that allegedly transformed the matatu into a rolling hazard.
According to court documents, the vehicle featured an obstructed emergency exit, illegal window tinting, altered passenger seating, and overhead multimedia screens that severely reduced headroom. Furthermore, the driver’s cabin contained unsecured electrical power inverters and a heavily modified dashboard that impaired Maina’s view of the road.
The accused driver was remanded in custody for five days, after which Magistrate Mutai is expected to rule on his cash bail application.
