Chaos erupted in Vihiga County on Saturday morning after boda boda riders set a matatu on fire following a deadly accident in the Luanda area along the Kisumu-Busia highway.
Witnesses reported that a 14-seater matatu lost control near Luanda market and hit a motorcyclist, killing him on the spot. The incident sparked anger among fellow riders, who confronted the matatu driver before torching the vehicle.
As the situation escalated, the riders blocked the busy Kisumu-Busia highway, disrupting transport on one of Kenya’s key routes to Uganda. Stranded travelers watched helplessly as the unrest unfolded.
The Vihiga County Government dispatched a fire engine to contain the blaze, but the crowd turned hostile. Firefighters were forced to flee after the vehicle was attacked. In the chaos, the fire engine overturned while attempting to negotiate a sharp corner.
Amid the commotion, residents raided a trailer transporting soda to Kisumu, making away with crates of soft drinks as police struggled to restore order.
Images and videos shared online captured the dramatic scenes: a matatu engulfed in flames, the fire engine lying on its side, and crowds watching from a distance. The footage has since sparked debate among Kenyans.
Some criticized the boda boda riders for taking the law into their own hands, while others faulted the police for failing to act quickly enough to prevent the destruction.
The Vihiga clash comes just days after a similar incident in Nairobi, where on September 1 a Super Metro bus was set ablaze along the Thika Superhighway after allegedly running over a boda boda rider. No passengers were harmed in that case.
These back-to-back incidents highlight growing tensions between matatu drivers and boda boda operators, raising fresh concerns about road safety, mob justice, and law enforcement in Kenya’s transport sector.
