Police launch manhunt for matatu driver who abandoned passengers in Molo
Police in Molo have launched a manhunt for a matatu driver who allegedly abandoned passengers to their fate after tricking them into believing he was going to get them another vehicle.
According to a police report lodged at Molo Police Station under OB number 38/22/04/2023, the driver was driving a Toyota matatu with registration number KCZ 646M belonging to Kisii Prestige.
The driver, whose identity is yet to be revealed, dropped the Londiani and Kericho-bound passengers midway at Kibunja on the pretext of finding another vehicle to transport them.
“However, the conductor and driver turned around and drove to Molo without returning the balance of the fare they had collected. The passengers were left stranded,” read a police report.
Among the passengers was a couple who had given Sh1,000 and were expecting a balance of Sh600.
They decided to board a motorbike and chased the matatu, which they caught up with near Molo Academy on the way to Molo Town.
The couple told the police that the motorcyclist told the driver to give them the money, but instead asked them to board the matatu so that he could take them to Londiani via Molo.
However, the driver and the tout reneged on their promise and dropped the couple off at Keep Left in Molo town.
Also read: Tout on the run after pushing woman out of moving matatu on Thika Road
The rogue driver then drove at breakneck speed towards Elburgon.
Nairobi News tried to contact the management of Sacco, but interestingly, they have no office or contact number.
This is not the first complaint against the Kisii Prestige team.
A search of the name on Facebook shows that several Kenyans have questioned the character and behaviour of their staff.
In March 2020, journalist Joshua Makori Ongechi said, “KBS 456Q (KISII PRESTIGE) plying Kisii- Kericho- Nakuru route over 14 passengers. Why are passengers ignoring the issue? Can’t they see it’s serious?”
Yet in the same year, Ms Emily Gesare said, “Kisii Prestige Sacco. Are these the drivers you trust with your brand name and passengers?”
“Wrong side of the highway surely? Na abiria wametulia tu kama maji ya mtungi (and the passengers are so calm?). If there is no explanation for this behaviour, the driver and the entire sacco should be called out and condemned,” she added.
Also read: Matatu driver in trouble for spending Sh110k mistakenly sent to him via M-Pesa