A British man has died in a hit-and-run incident involving the Kenyan president’s motorcade.
Edgar Riches, 79, a charity fundraiser, had been visiting relatives within the country when he was fatally struck on a road in Nairobi on Thursday.
The driving force of a support vehicle that was travelling on the rear of President William Ruto’s convoy has been arrested.
Police say Ruto’s automotive had already passed ahead when Mr Riches was hit.
Mr Riches, a former banker originally from Poole, Dorset, had spent the past 35 years volunteering with Catholic aid charity CAFOD.
CAFOD said he ‘a whole bunch of 1000’s of kilos’ through the years for projects in Africa and in developing countries elsewhere.
The 79-year-old spent his own savings to construct a college in Kenya, The Telegraph reported.
In 2019, he received a papal blessing from Pope Francis for his fundraising work.
Ann Stribley, president of Poole Conservative Association, where Mr Riches was a member, described him as ‘incredibly generous’ and ‘kind’.
‘He was private, quiet person but incredibly generous and if he said he was going to do something, he all the time did it,’ she told the BBC.
‘There’s a complete sense of shock and loss. He shall be greatly missed. I shall remember him as a form, quiet and thoughtful, all the time nice, individual.
‘He was an enormous profit to the association for a few years and we shall be lucky to see his like again.’
The incident sparked outrage on social media, where many Kenyans questioned why the motorcade was going so fast along a busy road.
Authorities have said the motorcade is driven at high speeds for security reasons.
The driving force of the federal government constructing has been released on bail, in line with Kenyan police.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: ‘We’re supporting the family of a British man who died in Kenya, and are involved with the local authorities.’
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