A matatu driver has been sentenced to two months in prison over the death of his conductor who fell from a moving vehicle along the Thika Superhighway, in a case that has renewed concerns over safety compliance in the public transport sector.
The driver, Paul Nyambuto Momanyi, had been charged with failing to ensure the safety of a passenger on board a motor vehicle, an offence under traffic laws.
The court sentenced Momanyi to two months’ imprisonment, with an option of paying a Sh15,000 fine in lieu of the custodial sentence.
While delivering the ruling, Senior Principal Magistrate Thamara Irene said that although conductors are often responsible for ensuring that vehicle doors are properly closed, the driver still has the ultimate responsibility to confirm that all safety measures have been observed before driving.
“Although it is ordinarily the conductor’s duty to ensure the door is closed, the driver must still confirm that all safety measures have been observed before the vehicle moves,” the magistrate said.
The court heard that Momanyi only realised the conductor had fallen after passengers shouted and demanded that he stop the vehicle.
In his mitigation, Momanyi pleaded for leniency, telling the court he was a first-time offender and the sole breadwinner for his young family.
The prosecution told the court that the incident occurred on March 27, 2026, at the Kastemil area along Thika Road.
Momanyi was driving a matatu registration number KDM 246E when he failed to ensure the door was properly closed.
As a result, the conductor, Kenneth Kamau Kaheri, fell from the moving vehicle and died on the spot.
A post-mortem report presented in court confirmed that Kaheri died from injuries sustained during the fall.
According to the prosecution, traffic police officers visited and processed the scene before towing the matatu for inspection.
Investigations later established that the vehicle had failed to meet some compliance standards.
The case has once again highlighted concerns about adherence to safety regulations within Kenya’s public transport sector.
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