UK Inquest Concludes British Man Was Killed by Speeding Vehicle in Ruto Motorcade

A UK coroner’s investigation has now officially concluded that British national Edgar Riches, 79, died after being hit by a vehicle linked to President William Ruto’s motorcade in Nairobi.

The inquest found that the tragic incident happened on March 13, 2025, as Riches was lawfully crossing Ngong Road using a marked pedestrian crossing.

Evidence presented in court showed that the government vehicle struck him at high speed, causing severe multiple injuries consistent with a violent road traffic collision.

Dorset Senior Coroner Brendan Allen, delivering the findings on April 7, 2026, said the available evidence clearly showed that Riches had done nothing wrong and was simply using a designated crossing point when the vehicle failed to stop for him.

The coroner added that the driver was travelling at an excessive speed and did not yield, making the collision unavoidable for the victim.

Despite the seriousness of the incident, the presidential motorcade reportedly continued with its journey to a public function in Nairobi without stopping at the scene.

The inquest also heard that no police escort vehicle or ambulance stopped immediately after the fatal impact.

Allen also spoke about the difficulties faced while investigating incidents that happen outside the United Kingdom.

He explained that gathering evidence from foreign jurisdictions can often be slow and incomplete, noting that some countries cooperate more openly than others.

In this case, the UK proceedings relied on a post-mortem examination, CCTV review, and a short statement from Kenya’s Office of the Inspector General of Police.

Even with the limited details received, the coroner said there was still enough material to reach a firm conclusion on how Riches died.

According to the findings, the main cause of the crash was the driver’s failure to give way at the pedestrian crossing, combined with speeding in a busy city road environment. The vehicle involved was identified as a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado assigned to the Ministry of the Interior.

The driver was later charged with causing death by dangerous driving. Court records showed that he pleaded guilty in Kenya on March 15, 2025, and was fined KSh100,000, roughly equivalent to £575, instead of receiving a custodial sentence.

The coroner officially recorded the death as a road traffic collision. While acknowledging that some questions remained unanswered because of missing details from Kenya, Allen said the evidence on record was sufficient to close the inquest.

He noted that although the court had “very limited detail” regarding some parts of the case, the available facts strongly supported the conclusion that the death resulted from dangerous driving at speed.

Riches’ family, however, said the legal outcome has left them deeply disappointed. They told the court that justice had not been properly served, especially given the small financial penalty and the fact that the motorcade failed to stop after the collision.

His daughter, Pauline Olden, emotionally described how her father had been completing the final stage of his annual charity walk, a journey he undertook every year to raise funds for a country he dearly loved visiting.

She said it was heartbreaking that he lost his life while doing something so meaningful and compassionate.

Olden said her father was struck while using a legal pedestrian crossing by a driver moving far too fast for the area.

She further criticized the response after the crash, saying neither the police escort nor an ambulance stopped to help. To the family, the KSh100,000 fine was far too lenient for a life lost under such circumstances.

She said the driver was able to pay the money and continue with life, while the family continues to live with permanent grief and unanswered pain.

The case has continued to attract attention both in Kenya and the UK because of the involvement of a presidential convoy, the speed at which it was travelling, and the perception that the punishment handed to the driver did not match the seriousness of the loss.

For the family, the inquest may have provided official answers, but it has not eased the feeling that true justice for Edgar Riches is still missing.

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