On May 31, 2022, a harrowing video emerged on social media, capturing the moment a man was brutally beaten while hanging from the back of a speeding lorry along the Kasarani-Mwiki Road in Nairobi.
The incident, which has sparked widespread outrage, took place along the busy city road, with the man being held by the collar by another person who repeatedly slapped him across the face for nearly 300 meters.
At some point, the lorry swerved on the road, proving that it was momentarily out of control while the incident took place.
It is still unclear whether the victim was part of the lorry's crew or was one of the individuals who struggle to hitch a ride by hanging on trucks.
"The man was being slapped. It is along the stretch between Mwiki and Njiru in Kasarani. The slapping began even before I started recording. It was a distance of about 300 meters. He was most likely one of those individuals who ask for a lift and hangs at the back," a witness narrated.
As the video spread on social media, Kenyans expressed mixed reactions, with a majority arguing that it was dangerous for the truck owners to discipline the man while hanging dangerously on a speeding lorry.
"This is Njiru - Mwiki bridge. Both the guy hanging on the lorry and the guy disciplining him are wrong," argued a concerned road user.
Others, however, sided with the aggressor, arguing that some of the boys who hang on lorries are thieves and often wait for the opportune time to steal valuables from the trucks.
