British national killed by vehicle in Kenyan president’s motorcade

A British national has died after being hit by a vehicle in the president of Kenya’s motorcade.

The man has been named as 79-year-old Edgar Riches, who had been in Nairobi visiting family when he was struck by a vehicle on Thursday.

Kenya’s National Police Service (NPS) has launched an investigation into the incident, with local reports suggesting Mr Riches was knocked down while attempting to cross a busy road in Nairobi as President William Ruto’s motorcade passed.

The man had been visiting his sister and nephew who live in Kenya, police told the BBC.

Video footage shows the motorcade speeding along Ngog Road as bystanders are heard screaming following the incident. Footage of the aftermath was also shared online, showing a crowd gathering around the man before he was covered with cloth.

Onlookers who spoke to local media said the motorcade did not stop after the man was struck.

NPS spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga said in a statement: “Following a road accident that occurred at Adams Arcade along Ngong Road involving a government vehicle, which resulted in the death of a pedestrian who is a foreign national, the NPS is now handling the matter and investigations have commenced.”

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The spokesperson also urged all motorists, pedestrians and other road users to “exercise extreme caution and adhere to traffic rules to prevent accidents”.

Police told local media the driver of the vehicle involved in the incident will appear in court following the investigation.

“The driver of government motor vehicle attached to Nairobi Regional Coordinator’s office is out on cash bail awaiting to be arraigned in court,” the spokesman said. The president was travelling on Ngog Road as part of a tour of the capital.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who died in Kenya and are in contact with the local authorities.”

Ruto has been president since September 2022, and made his first official visit as president to the UK the following month.

He has faced a series of controversies, and last year backed down from signing a finance bill into law that would have increased taxes after mass protests swept the country and became deadly, with reports of more than 20 people being killed.

Ruto was also investigated by the International Criminal Court over violence following the 2007 elections, which left hundreds dead. He denied murder, deportation and persecution charges, and in 2016 the ICC dropped its case against him, citing insufficient evidence, but refused to acquit him.