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Rogue matatu driver who smashed motorist’s windscreen charged

Fredrick Owino Nyamwanda at Makadara law courts. PHOTO: JOSEPH NDUNDA

The matatu driver who was captured on video smashing a motorist’s windscreen and side mirror in a heated road rage at Marurui, Kasarani sub-county along the Northern By-pass has been charged with malicious damage to property.

Fredrick Owino Nyamwanda of the Mataara Sacco is accused of willfully and unlawfully damaging the front windscreen and left side mirror of Clifford Ndambuki Wahome’s car worth Sh26,000 on February 26.

The scuffle had started after Wahome allegedly lamented to him that he was driving carelessly but Nyamwanda reportedly told him off and went away.

They later met elsewhere and an argument ensued over Nyamwanda’s said reckless driving and the matatu driver is reported to have deliberately hit Wahome’s car from behind to provoke him.

Nyamwanda had allegedly agreed to pay Wahome after he was arrested but made a u-turn and opted to face trial.

He on Monday denied the charge before chief magistrate Angelo Kithinji of Makadara law court and was freed on a cash bail of Sh50,000 pending a hearing scheduled to start on July 5.

Nyamwanda is also facing traffic charges emanating from the incident in which he is accused of causing obstruction after allegedly parking in the middle of the road to pick passengers.

He is accused of having obstructed and inconvenienced other road users by picking and settling passengers at a non-designated place.

The suspect was also charged with failure to wear the public service vehicle driver’s badge while driving his matatu on the Northern Eastern bypass.

He denied the traffic charges before principal magistrate Eunice Suter, who released him on a cash bail of Sh40,000.

The case will be mentioned on March 17.