This archive report was first published on 7 December 2019.
On December 7, 2019, a 46-seater matatu driver in Makueni County made headlines for all the wrong reasons after his daring attempt to drive through raging floodwaters from a swollen river Kyamela.
The commuter matatu, plying the Ukia-Emali road route, was spectacularly turned over by the floodwaters, leaving passengers and crew shaken but fortunately uninjured.
A mobile phone video captured the moment the driver, guided by a man, left the safety of one side of the road and drove through the waters, only to have the matatu overturn halfway.
Heavy rains had been pounding different parts of the country, leaving death and destruction in their wake. At least 12 people had died in separate incidents in various counties, including Kitui, Teso South, Mandera, Turkana, Elgeyo Marakwet, and West Pokot.
Thousands of livestock had also lost their lives in parts of Turkana, Wajir, and Marsabit, with thousands more displaced due to the heavy rains resulting in flooding and landslides.
Watch the video below to see the dramatic moment the matatu overturned.
