On June 9, Mtaa Wangu highlighted an incident that occurred near Gilani's Supermarket, at the former Chicken Baristo Restaurant, where a swarm of bees attacked business owners along that stretch.

Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) footage from one of the neighbouring shops showed residents scampering for safety.

In the aftermath, some people escaped with only minor bee stings, but for Joram Njagi Wanyeki, a 93-year-old, the attack proved fatal.

The pedestrian crossing on Kenyatta avenue where bees mostly attack unsuspecting pedestrians. Photo taken on November 1, 2024.

Photo credit: BRET SANYA/MTAA WANGU

Now, six months later, another storm is brewing not far from the site of the last incident. On the streetlight next to the Posta offices and Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), a swarm of bees has made the towering pole their habitat for over a year.

On October 30, George Muhia experienced the wild side of these ferocious creatures as he walked to Huduma Centre from the direction of the Posta offices.

“I was simply walking and minding my business when I felt a sharp, intense pain on the right side of my neck. It was so excruciating that I started sweating and felt like I might pass out. I began scratching that area of my neck to relieve the pain, but it only got worse,” he recounts.

In a phone interview with Mtaa Wangu, he mentions that to this day, that area of his neck is still swollen, accompanied by a tingling sensation that comes and goes.

Alex Njeru, a boda boda operator along this stretch, notes that for over a year now, especially mid-morning and early afternoon when temperatures rise, the bees emerge in large numbers.

“There have been many attacks in the recent past, and the people who suffer the most are unsuspecting pedestrians passing under the post on their way to Huduma Centre or KCB bank,” he laments.

We decided to fact-check Alex’s account regarding the bees disturbing pedestrians in the early afternoon hours, and indeed, he was correct.

Pedestrians running away from bees on Kenyatta avenue near KCB bank on November 1, 2024.

Photo credit: BRET SANYA/MTAA WANGU

On Friday November 1, at around 2pm, we observed one or two bees flying about, while unsuspecting pedestrians attempted to whisk them away or avoid them altogether.

All the while, no one knew the danger that lurked just above them in the towering streetlight pole.

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Bret Sanya