Eugene Mutuku had everything ahead of him. A final-year student at KMTC Yata in Matuu, he was just months away from graduating when his life was cut short in the most senseless and heartbreaking of ways.
Mutuku had recently started his mandatory industrial attachment at a hospital in Kasarani, the last significant step before he could complete his studies. On Thursday morning, he boarded a NICCO Sacco bus, registration number KDV 713J, and was on his way to work. He never made it there.
Witnesses say the matatu conductor threw him from the moving bus along Thika Road. He landed hard on the tarmac and sustained severe injuries that would prove fatal.
A Good Samaritan who came across the fallen young man wasted no time and rushed him to the hospital. On the way, the same matatu crossed their path near Garden Estate. The Good Samaritan flagged down the crew and informed them about the injured passenger they had left behind. The crew’s response was cold. They declined to offer any assistance and casually mentioned they would report the matter to the police instead.
Mutuku was eventually taken to Kenyatta National Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries, taking with him a future that had barely begun.
The story has since spread rapidly online, igniting outrage among Kenyans who are demanding a thorough investigation into the circumstances of his death and full accountability for everyone involved. For many, the anger goes beyond one incident, touching on a deeper frustration with the reckless and often brutal conduct that has long plagued public transport in the country.
A young man set out for work that morning with a dream within reach. He deserved to come home.
