This archive report was first published on 9 January 2020.
Published on January 9, 2020, a tragic incident occurred in Malindi, Kenya, where two men lost control of their motorcycle and plunged into the Indian Ocean.
According to eyewitnesses, the two men were riding for fun at night before they lost control at the end of the Malindi jetty. The bodies were discovered by fishermen the following morning, approximately 100 meters apart, with one body located about 400 meters and the other 300 meters away from the jetty.
Witnesses suspect that the men were intoxicated at the time of the accident. Police recovered money and a 'muguka' from the bodies, while the motorbike was found a few meters from the edge of the jetty.
Malindi subcounty Police boss Vitalis Otieno ruled out foul play in the death, stating that preliminary investigations showed the men had attempted to stop before plunging into the ocean. Otieno noted that there were skid marks about two meters from the jetty, indicating that the men had tried to apply brakes.
Noting the incident, Otieno cautioned motorcycle riders and the general public who use the jetty to be careful to avoid similar incidents in the future. He also announced that police will start using breathalyzers on motorcycle riders to prevent drunk-riding along the roads within the subcounty.
Malindi Beach Management Unit chairman Yunus Aboud added that Kenya Airports Authority and the county government of Kilifi should set up guard rails on the sides and at the end of the jetty to prevent such accidents in the future.
