This archive report was first published on 18 May 2020.
On May 15, 2020, a driver of a matatu belonging to Latema Sacco in Kenya narrowly escaped death after being ambushed and attacked by unknown assailants while on duty.
According to witnesses at Gachie bus terminus, the attack was allegedly brewed by continuous differences between Latema Sacco and its competitor, Ganaki Sacco.
The assailants attacked the bus by pelting it with stones, but it was the effort of police officers from the Police Camp at Gachie terminus that quelled the attack and rescued the driver.
Local resident Mary Kimani witnessed the attack from her balcony and described the scene: "They pelted the bus with stones as the driver tried to navigate through traffic and disappear from the scene."
Another witness, Victor Alfani, stated that the assailants were more than 15 and approached the bus from all directions, allegedly due to competition between the two sacco operators.
Ma3Route, an account highlighting motorists' situations on Kenyan roads, tweeted about the incident, calling on the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and Police Kenya to intervene and deal with the situation.
