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Roads & Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen released a statement to address and clarify the recent social media post depicting an alleged assault incident on an unidentified passenger aboard a PSV (Public Service Vehicle) motor vehicle with registration number KCS 747L.
The ministry's investigations shed light on the incident, revealing important details and dispelling reports published on social media.
Due to the passenger's mental health challenges, the Ministry of Roads and Transport withheld the individual's personal details, including their name and images.
The Cabinet Secretary said that contrary to earlier reports and social media speculation, the passenger involved in the incident is male and not female.
According to Mukomen’s statement, the PSV matatu, which belongs to Luxury Shuttle Tours & Travels Limited, departed from Meru town at around 3:30 am on May 18, 2023, with its destination set for Nairobi CBD.
The vehicle was carrying a total of 14 passengers. During the journey, the matatu made a brief stop at Mwea Nice Rice shopping center, where the passengers paid their fare. However, one male passenger was deeply asleep and did not pay at that time.
Upon arrival at Nairobi's Tea Room matatu terminus at approximately 10:00 am, all the passengers disembarked except for the sleeping male passenger.
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When the passenger was eventually awakened, they appeared disoriented and confused, failing to pay the required fare.
This behavior prompted on-duty police officers to be alerted, as the individual started undressing inside the vehicle.
The police officers intervened immediately and escorted both the vehicle and the passenger to Central Police Station in Nairobi.
Following a thorough interrogation and assessment of the situation, it was determined that the passenger displayed signs of instability and confusion, suggesting the possibility of underlying mental health challenges.
In light of these findings, it was decided that the passenger should be returned to Meru.
The driver of the matatu was ordered to transport the passenger back to Meru and handed them over to the local police station.
A formal report was recorded under the entry OB 105/18/05/2023.
After a period of evaluation and monitoring, it was determined that the passenger had stabilized.
Consequently, the police allowed the individual to return home the following day.