Police hunt matatu crew after traffic officer is dragged

Police have launched a manhunt for the driver and conductor of a hit and run PSV vehicle. [File] 

Police have launched a manhunt for the driver and conductor of a public service vehicle involved in a hit-and-run incident that left a traffic police officer seriously injured in Ruiru.

The incident occurred at about 7.10 p.m. on Friday at Kihunguro Roundabout along the Thika-Nairobi service lane, where officers attached to the Ruiru Traffic Base were managing traffic.

According to police, the officer approached a Toyota Hiace matatu after it allegedly stopped to pick up passengers at an undesignated point.

As the officer questioned the crew, the conductor allegedly grabbed him by the collar and pulled him towards the vehicle's sliding door. His left trouser leg became trapped before he fell onto the road.

Police said the driver immediately sped off, dragging the officer several metres along the tarmac before fleeing the scene.

The officer suffered a fractured left hip joint and was rescued by fellow officers before being rushed to Medilife Hospital in Ruiru, where he was admitted in stable condition.

Investigators are now searching for the matatu, its driver and conductor, who remain at large.

The latest incident comes barely a week after another violent attack targeting police officers in Nairobi's Kamukunji area.

During a routine night patrol along Racecourse Road, an unidentified man armed with a panga allegedly attacked a police constable, inflicting multiple deep cuts to the back of his head.

A fellow officer intervened and fatally shot the attacker after opening fire.

Police later revealed that the officer accidentally set his firearm to automatic mode instead of single-shot, resulting in the discharge of 11 rounds of ammunition during the confrontation.

The injured officer was initially treated at a nearby clinic before being transferred to Nairobi West Hospital, where Nairobi Police Commander Issa Mohamud said he remains in stable condition and is recovering.

Elsewhere in Nairobi, detectives are investigating the deaths of two men who were allegedly lynched by a mob over claims that they had stolen a motorcycle in the Posta area of Jamhuri Estate.

Police said officers responded after receiving reports that members of the public were assaulting the two suspects. Before officers could intervene, the injured men were reportedly rescued by associates and taken to hospital, where both later died.

Their deaths sparked fresh unrest after hundreds of boda boda riders stormed the hospital demanding answers over the treatment of the injured suspects before later attempting to collect the bodies from the mortuary.

Police said the riders became violent after being denied access, blocking sections of Ngong Road and later regrouping near Jamhuri, where they allegedly looted businesses and terrorised members of the public.

Reinforcement teams, including officers from the Quick Response Unit, were deployed to restore order. Tear gas was used to disperse the crowd, while warning shots were fired into the air.

Two civilians sustained gunshot injuries during the chaos and were admitted to Nairobi Women's Hospital in stable condition. Police also arrested two suspects and impounded ten motorcycles believed to have been used during the disturbances.

Away from Nairobi, detectives in Rachuonyo South, Homa Bay County, are investigating the mysterious death of 24-year-old Great Lakes University student Ronny Okumu.

The second-year student was found dead inside his grandmother's house in Aramo Village several days after he was last seen. His body, discovered seated on a sofa in an advanced state of decomposition, was found after relatives noticed a foul smell emanating from the house.

Police said no suicide note or other immediate clues were recovered from the scene, and a post-mortem examination is expected to establish the cause of death.

In neighbouring Makueni County, detectives have launched investigations after the body of an unidentified woman was found lying along the Malili-Kalanzoni murram road in Mukaa Sub-County.

Police said the woman was partially undressed and had foam oozing from her mouth, although no visible physical injuries were observed. Her body was moved to Kilungu Hospital Mortuary pending identification and post-mortem examination.

Meanwhile, police in Kisii County have upgraded a serious assault case to murder after 26-year-old Robinson Ong'au succumbed to injuries sustained during a stabbing incident at Menyinkwa area on June 27.

The suspect, a boda boda rider identified only as Ong'au, remains at large. Detectives have launched a manhunt as investigations continue into the fatal attack.