According to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), two drivers have each been fined a total of Sh170,000 for killing two pedestrians in the city. Since January 2023, there have been 974 confirmed road fatalities.
Senior chief magistrate Esther Kimilu in Milimani found Joshua Otieno Mbindah and James Guandaru Wanjiru guilty based on their own admissions of guilt.
Guandaru, 36, was fined Sh100,000 or sentenced to one year in prison if he didn’t comply with the terms of his sentence for killing a pedestrian while trapped between an Omni Bus with an Eastleigh Sacco registration and a Supper Metro Sacco.
Furthermore, Mbindah, the truck driver who killed a pedestrian crossing Jogoo Road on February 9, 2023, on the spot, was fined Sh70,000 or given a year in jail for failure to pay.
Along with the Sh100,000 punishment, Ms. Kimilu also put Guandaru’s driving privileges on six-month suspension.
According to Ms. Kimilu, the two drivers acknowledged operating their cars in a careless and hazardous manner.
Jenner Musembi Muli, 57, was allegedly crushed to death by Guandaru after being trapped between the minibus he was operating and Super Mettro Sacco, according to state prosecutor Ann Munyua.
The deceased’s chest was crushed, breaking the chest cavity and causing the heart and other internal organs to suffer ruthless damage, according to a postmortem report.
The magistrate stated that courts would not stand by as negligent and careless drivers smashed Kenyans’ lives with impunity.
She took judicial notice of the fact that careless drivers have been responsible for these wanton accidents that have claimed the lives of hundreds of Kenyans, including university, secondary, and primary school students.
The magistrate highlighted that innocent lives were lost as a result of Guandaru and Mbindah’s disregard for the law and traffic regulations, notwithstanding their expressions of regret and requests for lighter punishments.
A heavy penalty had been requested by the prosecutor.
In his plea for forgiveness and indulgence, Guandaru had argued that he was the only provider for the three children that his deceased wife had left in his care.
Mbindah said he tried his best to save David Stephen Waigwa Ndirangu in vain since he had been missed being hit by the deceased.
