A matatu driver was yesterday arrested following a case filed against him and his ‘gang’ after a woman foiled their plans to drug and steal from her.
His arrest comes after a woman by the name Karimi Mwari took to social media on Saturday to narrate her ordeal in the hands of the driver and his accomplices.
Kenya Police confirmed his arrest through their official Twitter handle saying that the vehicle and the driver were in their custody and the OCS Kilimani was handling the issue.
The matatu, registration KAS 253V, which belongs to Dakika Sacco according to Ms Mwari picked her and two other female passengers and upon reaching Kenyatta National Hospital stage the driver grabbed her bag and started pulling her back in as he was joined by other people who started pushing and roughing her up.
“I notice the girls who were seated behind look unconscious. I start shouting and my voice is drowned by men asking me to kanyangia story,” she recounted through her facebook post that was shared like wildfire.
“The driver will appear in court tomorrow (today) to be charged with the offence of robbing and intending to drug passengers. We call upon other people who have fallen victim to the driver to report to us so that we can charge him with many offenses,” said Kilimani OCPD Peter Katam confirming the arrest with case booked as OB71/22/10/16 at 5.20pm.
Hi @PhilipOgola.The vehicle and the driver are in custody. OCS Kilimani is handling this. @Ma3Route @ODPP_KE @PoliceKE @DCI_Kenya
— National Police Service-Kenya (@NPSOfficial_KE) October 23, 2016
“We congratulate Karimi Mwari for her courage to report this particular incident to us. We immediately launched a manhunt and arrested the driver of matatu on Saturday. We also recovered and detained the vehicle,” he said.
Katam noted that investigations reveal that a number of PSV operators on the route are engaged in the vice.
“Karimi acted as a whistle-blower and we have taken more measures to ensure passengers are safe. We have intensified patrols in our area and deployed undercover officers in PSVs to apprehend the wrongdoers,” he said.
Police warned the public to be cautious when boarding vehicles so that they may not fall victims by circumstance.