A hawker died on Friday morning after he was hit by a matatu near the OTC area in Nairobi as he reportedly fled from Nairobi City County enforcement officers, witnesses said.
Witnesses said the man sold black coffee and mandazi to pedestrians and matatu crews along Ronald Ngala Street.
The witnesses said he had just bought the items for the day's business when county enforcement officers confronted him.
According to the witnesses, the hawker fled with the officers allegedly in pursuit before he ran into the road and was hit by a matatu.
One witness said his tools of trade were confiscated, including cups and a thermal kettle. The witness said the victim died on the spot from the impact.
The incident occurred outside St Peter Claver's Catholic Church at about 6 am, witnesses said.
Volunteers who moved the body from the road to the pavement spread waste at the scene to prevent passing vehicles from spreading blood along the road.
The body remained at the scene until about 7:30 am, when police arrived, according to witnesses.
Police are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, including efforts to identify and trace the matatu and its driver.
Under Section 73 of the Traffic Act, a driver involved in an accident in which injury or damage occurs is required to stop and provide identification when required.
Where injury has occurred, the driver is also required to report the accident to police as soon as reasonably possible and within 24 hours.
Investigators could rely on CCTV footage, dashcam recordings and eyewitness accounts to establish the vehicle's registration number and trace its driver.
