Jogoo Road in Nairobi turned into a scene of panic and fire on the morning of Thursday, August 7, after a shocking incident involving a Citi Hoppa bus and a boda boda rider.
What started as a normal weekday morning quickly turned into tragedy and chaos. A Citi Hoppa bus allegedly hit a boda boda operator, killing him on the spot. The impact, according to witnesses, was so severe that the rider suffered fatal head injuries and died instantly.
The road was immediately flooded with tension. Passengers inside the bus quickly got out and scrambled to find other means of transport. No one knew what would happen next, but what followed shocked the city.
Within moments, a crowd of boda boda riders began arriving at the scene. They were visibly shaken, angry, and grieving. After seeing the body of their fellow rider, they decided not to wait for justice. They took action.
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They set the bus on fire.
Photos and videos taken by bystanders and published by Kenyans.co.ke showed the Citi Hoppa bus completely consumed by flames. The bus was burnt beyond repair.
A social media user who witnessed everything unfold shared their horror and frustration online. “A boda boda operator was killed by a bus, his brain shattered. It took more than an hour for the police or emergency services to show up,” the witness wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The witness added, “The other riders got angry and torched the bus. The firefighting team arrived way too late. By the time they came, the whole bus was already gone.”
This wasn’t the only public transport fire in the past 24 hours. Just hours earlier, a Super Metro bus also caught fire near Naivasha Road. The cause of that fire remains unknown, but it has added to fears about rising chaos and safety risks on Nairobi’s roads.
The Nairobi Fire Department and police are now under fire for their slow response times. Many Kenyans online are questioning why emergency teams failed to act quickly in such serious situations.
More drama is expected on the roads, especially with two big football matches taking place today. The Democratic Republic of Congo is set to play Zambia at Nyayo Stadium at 3pm. Later, Harambee Stars will face Angola at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani at 7pm.
Due to these events, Nairobi’s Traffic Department has announced road re-routes. They are asking drivers to avoid Thika Road, Mombasa Road, and Jogoo Road unless they are heading to the stadiums.
With traffic already bad, and now emergency delays and road violence increasing, residents are calling for stronger traffic control, better safety for boda boda riders, and faster action by city services.
Some are also asking deeper questions: Are boda boda riders being protected enough? Are road safety rules being enforced fairly? And what does it say about public trust in the system when people feel the need to take justice into their own hands?
Jogoo Road, one of Nairobi’s busiest roads, was brought to a halt for hours due to the blaze and the growing crowd. Smoke billowed into the sky as people stood in shock, recording the event on their phones.
The driver of the bus fled the scene before the situation escalated. Police have not yet released a statement confirming whether he has been found or if any arrests have been made.
City authorities say they are launching an investigation into both the accident and the bus fire. But for many boda boda riders, the pain is still fresh, and the anger is not going away anytime soon.
Traffic is expected to remain heavy throughout the day, especially with the CHAN tournament matches drawing thousands of fans into the city.
Citizens are now urging Nairobi County to step up: faster emergency response, protection for both public transport users and riders, and improved safety rules to prevent another tragedy like this one.
As of now, the name of the deceased rider has not been released, but his fellow operators say they will not let his death be forgotten.
This story is developing. Authorities have promised to update the public soon.
