A matatu owner from Nyeri, Regina Nyambura was jailed after her driver, David Njuguna, hit and killed a 21-year-old University student.
Wakhungu Karungari, the deceased was a student 0f Dedan Kimathi University pursuing a degree in Leather Technology.
The reported court records, shows that Wakhungu was standing at a tailor’s stall along Mumbi Road in Nyeri on November 13, 2017.
The matatu driver lost control of his vehicle and rammed straight to the University student.
The student was seriously injured and later past on while receiving treatment at the Nyeri Referral Hospital.
In the case, Nyambura was named as a defendant.
Senior Principal Magistrate Philip Mutua in his ruling, directed that Nyambura and her driver pay a total of Ksh 8, 261,250 plus interest to the deceased family.
The Law Reform and Fatal Accidents Act was used to arrive at the figures.
The magistrate also considered Wakhungu’s age at the time of his death and he placed Ksh 150, 000 on his loss of expectation.
The average industry salary of university course placed at Ksh 90,000.
“He would earn an average annual pay of Ksh 960,000. That multiplied by the age he would have started working and a third of his dependency ratio comes to Ksh8 million,” the Magistrate explained.
Nyambura in her defence, told the court that her insurance company could only cover Ksh3 million, having her jailed will not be able to raise the rest of the money.
“How will I make a follow up with the company if I am sent to prison?” she asked. Nyambura was sentenced to a 30-day jail term after failing to meet the courts demands.
However, Wakhungu’s family maintained that the insurance company was just a third party to the case.