A matatu driver has been charged in court for abusing a pedestrian whom he almost knocked down while speeding at the Nairobi city centre.
Martin Kiarie Njoroge, who was arraigned at Milimani Law Courts on Monday, March 1, is alleged to have alighted from the matatu he was driving while armed with a machete and threatened to hack with a machete the female pedestrian.
He was charged with creating a disturbance in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace for subjecting Rael Cherutto to abusive language while armed with a machete moments after he almost knocked her down.
The court was told that the incident occurred on February 28, 2021, at about 11 am on the lane behind the Nation Media Group centre.
The accused was speeding in the back alley when he almost knocked Cherruto over.
When Cherruto confronted him on his reckless driving, the court heard that the accused verbally abused her -- calling her unprintable names and telling her to go get circumcised -- then he removed the machete from the vehicle, threatening to hack her with it.
Were it not for a security guard stationed behind Ibrahim Shopping Mall, the court was told, she may have been hacked.
The security guard snatched the machete from the driver and took him to Central Police Station where he was placed in police custody.
The accused pleaded not guilty before Nairobi Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku who freed him on a Sh10,000 cash bail.
