Tension erupted on the Thika Superhighway Friday evening after boda boda riders set ablaze a luxury Audi SUV following a fatal accident near Northlands.
According to witnesses, the incident unfolded after a rider was killed instantly in the crash, sparking outrage among fellow operators who descended on the vehicle in fury. Within moments, flames and thick smoke engulfed the car as its owner stood nearby, helplessly watching it burn to ashes.
Firefighters from Ruiru later rushed to the scene but arrived too late—the SUV had already been reduced to a shell.
The violent protest disrupted traffic along the busy highway and left motorists shaken, as the stretch near Kenyatta University turned into a scene of chaos.
This is not the first time boda boda riders have reacted violently after road tragedies. Earlier this month in Thika’s Makongeni area, an Audi A3 linked to a DCI officer was torched after it allegedly hit a rider and his passenger, leaving them injured.
In another incident in Vihiga County, operators burned down a PSV van in Luanda after it reportedly ran over and killed a colleague along the Kisumu-Busia highway.
The series of incidents has raised concerns over the rising trend of mob justice on Kenyan roads, with authorities warning that such acts not only destroy property but also escalate lawlessness.
