Driver of Ntulele killer bus charged with causing 43 deaths

Steve Mutie when he surrendered to police on Tuesday. (Photo:Charles Ngeno/Standard)

By Kipchumba Kemei

Narok, Kenya: The driver of the ill-fated bus that killed 43 passengers at Ntulele area along Narok-Mai Mahiu Road was charged in a Narok court with causing 43 deaths through reckless driving.

Steve Sola Mutie, who appeared before area resident magistrate Zainabu Abdul, was also charged with driving a defective vehicle that had no Road Service Licence from National Road Safety Authority and driving it without a traffic inspection sticker contrary to Traffic Act.

The prosecution led by police inspector Simon Ihaji claimed that Mutie, who was unrepresented, caused the deaths on August 29 at 1am at Pinyinyi Hills along the highway while driving the bus - KBN 138 F.

On Tuesday, the owner of the bus Mohammed Abdinasir Sheikh appeared in the same court where he was charged with permitting the vehicle to be used on a public road while it was defective and without necessary documents.

Four files

Sheikh was released on a bond of Sh500,000 and a surety of similar amount or Sh300,000 cash bail. His case will be heard on October 12.

Mutie, who sustained a fracture on his left hand, sat pensively in a packed court as charges were being read to him.  Each of the four files contained 12 names of passengers, who perished in the grisly road accident.

He voluntarily presented himself to the police in Nairobi on Tuesday where he was locked in and moved to Narok Police Station Wednesday morning with relatives and friends in tow. Inspector Ihaji asked the court to consolidate the charges.

Mutie, who pleaded not guilty to all the charges, was released on Sh1 million bond or Sh500,000 cash bail. The prosecution did not object to his release.

In an engagement with the police, the driver acknowledged the bus had excess passengers and was overloaded with luggage.

“I warned my two conductors that the bus was not stable long before the accident occurred,” he said. Mutia went into hiding after the accident on August 29