Murkomen dismisses claims of passenger being stripped naked at Tea room

Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen delivers a speech during a high-level stakeholder meeting in Nairobi on May 12, 2023. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has dismissed claims that a passenger was stripped naked for failing to pay bus fare at Tea Room, Nairobi last week.

Murkomen made the clarification following social media reports that a deaf woman had been assaulted and stripped for failing to pay fare.

In a statement, the CS said officers from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) conducted investigations, which showed the passenger in question is a man and not a woman.

Further, the Cabinet Secretary pointed out that the passenger appeared disoriented and that he had stripped himself naked.

"A matatu left Meru town at about 3.30 am on Thursday, May 18 destined for Nairobi CBD with 14 passengers. The vehicle briefly stopped at Mwea Nice Rice shopping centre where the passengers paid their fare except for one male passenger said to have been deeply asleep," wrote Murkomen.

"On arrival at Nairobi Tea Room matatu terminus at approximately 10 am, the passengers alighted save for the male passenger who was still sleeping. On being roused up, he reportedly appeared confused and disoriented and did not pay the required fare," said Murkomen.

The CS added that police officers who were on patrol were informed that the said passenger started undressing while inside the vehicle.

"From the interaction, it appears that the said passenger has some mental challenges. The officers escorted the vehicle and the passenger to Central police station, Nairobi where upon interrogation of the matter it was decided that the said passenger be returned back to Meru as he appeared unstable," he said.

"The passenger was handed to the Meru Police Station where a report was recorded vide OB 105/18/05/2023...The police then let the subject person proceed home the following day as he appeared to have stabilized."