Kenyan Man Loses Both Legs After Jumping off a Moving Train

A youthful man lost his legs after jumping off a moving cargo train at Maragua Ridge in Murang’a on Thursday.

The man had hitched a lift by hanging on the train to Murang’a for New Year celebrations but decided to jump off for fear of being arrested at Maragua terminus. He miscalculated his jump and was run over by the last two cabins, severing his legs below the knees.

"He feared that he would be arrested at the Maragua town terminus. He did not get his math right since he was not able to jump clear off the train and the rails," said Murang'a South Sub-County Police Commander Alexander Shikondi.

He was rescued by Good Samaritan who rushed him to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.

"We have been informed by doctors that he has lost the two legs. The doctors have amputated the stubs to control the injuries," Shikondi added.

"We called the terminus and the crew was not even aware of the incident. They said all the listed crew and cargo were safe, meaning the youth was an illegal passenger.”

The man confessed to having jumped onto the train in Githurai to avoid paying the Sh250 fare matatus were charging him to Murang'a. He was carrying a shopping bag containing one packet of wheat flour, a loaf of bread, and a kilo of sugar.

Shikondi said the man will not be charged in court since, under such circumstances, injuries suffered are enough punishment. The train was transporting fuel from Nairobi to Nanyuki.