Murkomen Speaks On Woman Stripped In Matatu Over Ksh1,000 Fare
The CS broke his silence following the incident which went viral on social media platforms and triggered an uproar across the country.
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Transport Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen on Friday, May 19 revealed that investigations were launched into an incident whereby a passenger was allegedly stripped aboard a matatu that was bound for Nairobi.
In a statement, Murkomen noted that investigations were underway against the Meru Luxury shuttle and a report would be issued on the same in due course.
The CS broke his silence following the incident which went viral on social media platforms and triggered an uproar across the country.
"Investigations on this matter are ongoing and I will update the nation soon," Murkomen announced.
A Meru Luxury Shuttle matatu bound for Nairobi which was on the spot after a passenger was stripped in one of its vehicles on May 18, 2023. /TWITTER.ABUGA MAKORI
Photos that circulated social media platforms had shown the lady stripped to her bare chest and a video showed her trying to cover herself after the ordeal.
Reports had revealed that the lady passenger, who was believed to be deaf, was stripped after failing to pay a Ksh1,000 fare and could not express herself on the issue when she was confronted by a tout.
However, officials from the Sacco had denied that their officials were involved in undressing the passenger. Meru Luxury shuttle secretary Dan Kanyamu had also denied claims on social media that the passenger was female.
The official indicated that the passenger had undressed after being woken up by the conductor to disembark from the vehicle as they had arrived in Nairobi at the Tea Room stage.
Kanyamu claimed that the middle-aged man had thereafter started undressing promoting the driver to drive to the Central Police Station to report the matter.
“After some minutes of commotion at the Tea Room mainstage, the young man started unclothing himself and the driver drove the vehicle to Central Police station in Nairobi where the police forced him to get dressed,” the official stated.
The passenger was yet to respond on the matter.
In 2014, a bus driver, a conductor and a colleague were caught on camera stripping and robbing a female passenger in a Githurai-bound bus, claiming that the woman had refused to pay bus fare and they stripped her to look for money.
The conductors forced her to remain behind when all the passengers had alighted and started stripping her as the bus was riding back to Nairobi. At some point, the driver parked the bus and joined the conductors to molest the woman while playing loud music to keep off any suspicion.
Nicholas Mwangi, Meshack Mwangi and Edward Ndung’u were found guilty of robbery with violence by Nairobi Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi and were also charged with sexually assaulting the victim in the incident. They were sentenced to death on August 21, 2018.
The charges against them state that on the night of September 19 and 20, they robbed a woman identified as H E W (to protect her identity) of Ksh10,200, a Samsung Galaxy mobile phone worth Ksh27,000, one bottle of perfume, a clutch bag and make-up kit all amounting to Ksh41,700.
The video of their indecent act was shared widely leading to an uproar from all sections of society that demanded they be brought to book.
