George Ruto’s famous Baba Yaga matatu crashes into huge ditch in Nairobi

Baba Yaga, one of the most recognisable customised city Nganyas associated with President William Ruto’s son George, was involved in a dramatic accident on the night of Tuesday, September 29, 2026, after veering off the road and plunging into a large ditch.

In a video shared on Instagram by Matwana 254, the heavily customised matatu is seen lying on its side inside the ditch, with several people gathered around the wreckage as they sought to establish what had happened.

The footage gives no immediate indication that there were passengers aboard the matatu when the accident occurred, with no passengers seen emerging from the vehicle or being helped out of its overturned body.

Instead, the Nganya remains motionless inside the ditch as curious onlookers gather around it and the night gradually wears on.

Several people, including boda boda riders who ply the route on which the accident occurred, are seen walking around the vehicle and inspecting the scene, apparently trying to assess the extent of the damage.

From inside the customised matatu, faint glimmers from its elaborate interior neon lighting can still be seen flickering through the darkness, providing an eerie contrast to the otherwise silent scene.

The accident occurred sometime between 9 pm and around 11 pm, only hours after Baba Yaga had been captured in another video ferrying passengers through Nairobi’s Central Business District, suggesting that the popular Nganya had been in active service earlier in the day before the accident occurred later that night.

For the longest time, the driver of Baba Yaga was Kinara, a well-known figure in Kenya’s vibrant matatu industry who has since moved into a managerial position at the newly launched Matatu Sacco 98, an increasingly prominent Sacco associated with George Ruto.

Kinara’s transition from being behind the wheel of the flamboyantly customised Nganya to taking up a managerial role reflects the changing fortunes of some of the personalities who have helped shape Nairobi’s competitive matatu culture, where striking designs, elaborate interiors and distinctive identities have become an integral part of the industry.

Baba Yaga predominantly operates along the CBD-Rongai route and has, on several occasions, been nominated at the Nganya Awards, where Kenya’s most creatively customised and visually distinctive matatus compete for recognition.

Despite its elaborate design and strong following among matatu enthusiasts, however, Baba Yaga has previously lost out to Embakasi’s Opposite.

The identity of Baba Yaga is deeply rooted in the fictional character after whom the matatu was named, with the Nganya popularly associated with John Wick and carrying an elaborate visual theme inspired by the celebrated character.

Its exterior is covered in intricate graffiti depicting imagery associated with the fictional assassin, while the overall design draws heavily from the dark, stylish aesthetic of the highly popular neo-noir action-thriller franchise.

The John Wick franchise was created by screenwriter Derek Kolstad and stars Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves in the title role, with Wick emerging as one of the most recognisable characters in contemporary action cinema.

The character’s distinctive identity has consequently been replicated in various forms across popular culture, including in the striking design of Baba Yaga.

The matatu’s entire concept and visual identity are drawn from the John Wick character, with the theme extending beyond its exterior bodywork and into the interior of the vehicle.

Inside, the Nganya features intricate carvings, elaborate fittings and sticker images depicting some of John Wick’s most recognisable outfits and appearances, creating an environment designed to immerse passengers in the world of the fictional assassin.

The name Baba Yaga itself carries a deeper connection to the film franchise and its central character. In the John Wick storyline, the legendary assassin is a retired professional hitman whose birth name is Jardani Jovonovich and whose reputation in the criminal underworld is so formidable that he is associated with the moniker “Baba Yaga”, a name often linked to the Boogeyman.

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