Cecilia Achieng, a 23-year-old rising TikTok star and recent graduate, lost her life in an accident along Thika Road late Friday night.

The incident unfolded after midnight when Nairobi-based online taxi operator, Patrick Muthami, accepted a ride request to Ruiru.

Muthami arrived at the pickup location, which had been requested by a man named Ronald, and was instructed to wait for two girls, though only one was scheduled to be dropped off in Juja.

Cecilia and her friend, Sally, arrived shortly after, both appearing intoxicated after spending the evening together.

Muthami noted that the trip was only settled after payment difficulties, including Cecilia’s M-Pesa account being blocked, required Ronald to pay for the ride.

Cecilia, swaying slightly, then climbed into the back seat.

The trip quickly turned difficult as Muthami observed Cecilia’s intoxicated state worsen, leading to increasingly unpredictable behaviour.

As they neared the Ruiru flyover, the situation escalated.

“She then held my shirt tightly from behind,” Muthami recounted. Prioritizing safety, the driver immediately pulled over and contacted Ronald, expressing his discomfort with continuing the trip alone.

Muthami requested that Ronald and Sally join them at a pedestrian bridge on Thika Road, hoping their presence might help stabilize Cecilia.

However, Cecilia refused to speak with her companions on the phone. About an hour later, the tragic accident occurred.

Cecilia stepped out of the taxi and began walking along the busy highway, seemingly attempting to return to her friend’s home, when she was struck and killed by a passing vehicle.