Driver accused of drugging passengers detained for 10 days

A driver suspected of being part of a gang that is accused of drugging and robbing passengers in Nairobi has been detained for 10 days to allow police to complete investigations into the incident.

Simon Kinyanjui was arrested on Sunday after he was linked to a syndicate that is notorious for drugging and robbing passengers along the Kawangware-CBD route.

The arrest came after a passenger, Caroline Karimi, posted about her harrowing experience at the hands of the driver and his conductor on social media.

Karimi said she was forced to jump out of the matatu after she noticed that the crew had syringes which they used to drug passengers.

The matatu, registered under the Dakika Sacco, has since been impounded at Kilimani Police Station.

The sacco rebuked the operators over their conduct, saying they have resolved to deregister them from the sacco.

“We have deregistered the driver from our sacco and communicated to other saccos in the country not to hire them,” said Paul Gitonga, the Sacco chair.

Kilimani OCPD Peter Katam said that Karimi did not mention other passengers who had been drugged, in her statement to the police.

The search for the matatu conductor is underway.

Meanwhile matatu operators plying the Kawangware route held demonstrations on Monday to oppose the arrest of the driver, Simon Kinyanjui.