A 24-year-old former Radio Africa journalist died after being thrown from a motorcycle in a collision with a concrete mixer truck on one of Nairobi’s busiest roads on Friday evening.
Rose Mbugua was the pillion passenger on a motorcycle travelling along Uhuru Highway towards the city centre when the rider reportedly hit the pavement near the University Way roundabout, lost control and slammed into the side of a Foton concrete mixer at around 5.30pm.
She suffered severe head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police documented the accident before her body was transferred to Nairobi City Mortuary for a post-mortem examination.
Investigations into the circumstances of the crash are continuing.
Colleagues and friends remembered Miss Mbugua as a hardworking and humble young journalist who was dedicated to her craft.
The incident comes amid a worrying rise in road fatalities across the country, despite repeated official pledges to improve safety. Police statistics consistently show motorcycle-related accidents as the leading cause of such deaths, often involving reckless riding, poor road conditions and inadequate enforcement of traffic laws.
On Friday night alone, 13 people were killed in separate road accidents in the Nairobi area, including five motorcycle riders, five passengers, two pedestrians and one pillion passenger. More than 20 others sustained serious injuries.
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