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Tension gripped the streets of Nairobi earlier on Friday, January 23, 2026, after an angry mob set fire to a public service vehicle (PSV) belonging to the Forward Travellers Sacco Ltd.
The incident, which occurred during the busy afternoon hours, was sparked by a tragic accident in which the minibus reportedly struck a pedestrian.
According to the eyewitness from the video circulating online, the collision was a result of reckless driving that immediately drew a large, agitated crowd of fellow riders and pedestrians.
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Attempted Escape Leads to Arson
The situation escalated rapidly when the bus driver allegedly attempted to flee the scene rather than surrender to the authorities.
This triggered a pursuit by the public, who intercepted the vehicle a short distance away.
“As a driver, if you hit someone, you must stop and take responsibility rather than trying to escape,” one witness from the clip circulating noted.
Police have condemned the act of vigilantism, urging the public to allow the law to take its course in the event of road accidents.
Series of Vehicle Torchings
The Nairobi Forward Travellers Sacco vehicle incident comes amid a series of high-profile incidents across the country.
A 14-seater matatu struck a boda-boda rider on the Kisumu-Busia highway on Saturday, September 6, 2025, in Luanda Town, Vihiga County, resulting in his death. The matatu was set on fire by locals who blocked the highway and started bonfires.
In a similar case, following a traffic collision on Sunday, September 7, 2025, a private vehicle in Thika’s Makongeni Estate was set on fire.
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The car, apparently an Audi A3, was involved in the collision, according to eyewitnesses. After the collision, irate boda-boda drivers set fire to the vehicle, causing traffic jams and panic in the vicinity.
On September 1, after a Super Metro Sacco matatu knocked down and killed a rider, riders along Thika Road near Juja Town continued the trend by setting it on fire.
On November 14 2025, a group of boda boda riders set a 33-seater minibus on fire after it allegedly ran over one of their coworkers close to Mama Lucy Hospital in Embakasi Central, Nairobi.
A group of boda boda drivers set a Mash Poa bus on fire on December 22, 2025, after a fellow passenger was killed in an accident at Salgaa along the Nakuru–Mau Summit Road.
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14-seater matatu torched in Luanda. PHOTO/@CityMirrorKE/X