• Police said the four died while undergoing treatment at the county Referral hospital.
• Azimio is demanding accountability and for the affected families to be compensated. They also want the government to foot medical and burial bills.
Image: FILE
Azimio has blamed the deadly stampede at Kericho Green Stadium on corruption and failed leadership by President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration, demanding that heads roll.
National Assembly Minority leader Opiyo Wandayi said on Sunday that the deaths and injuries on Mashujaa Day was “a national shame and tragedy” and that the silence by the government showed it was complicit.
But UDA secretary general Cleophas Malala had on Saturday released a statement expressing (the party's) sympathy for lives lost following a stampede in Kericho.
Besides condolences to the grieving families and quick recovery wishes to the injured, Malala urged "organisers of such events in the future to be cautious to ensure safety measures are put in place to avoid similar calamities where lives are lost unnecessarily".
Four people died following a 3am stampede at the stadium's Gate C on Friday.
Police said the four died while undergoing treatment at the county Referral hospital.
According to official explanation, the stampede occurred after a woman who was selling tea outside the stadium accidentally spilled the hot tea in a fire near the gate.
This resulted in an explosion which was mistaken for teargas, causing panic among members of the public who were waiting at the entrance for clearance to enter the stadium.
"Several people who wanted to gain entry to the stadium were injured and rushed to Kericho County Referral Hospital. At the said hospital, four females have been confirmed dead," police said.
Three police officers were among the injured, with one of them sustaining a fracture on the right leg, another a cut wound on the right eye and the other head injury.
Two community health promoters were part of the casualty, a man who injured his neck and a woman who sustained injuries on the back and left leg.
Four of the 13 victims suffered soft tissue injuries, while the others sustained injuries on their backs, legs, shoulder and chest. The injured persons were aged between 17 and 67 years old, police said.
But Azimio in a statement said, “…we believe there is a reason why the government is quiet over this national shame and tragedy. The government has not acknowledged the deaths and chaos that happened in Kericho. The government has not explained what went wrong and why.”
The coalition said the government had ample time to tie all loose ends in preparing for the day, including putting up quality infrastructure to host the masses and safety protocols.
“... in the run up to the event, the country was treated to numerous briefings and updates by the national security apparatus, complete with security drills and performances on how all was well and how Kericho was ready [with money spent]. On the material day, the national security apparatus failed dramatically. Crowd control failed, leading to stampede and deaths,” Azimio said.
“In addition, we were treated to dreadful scenes of Kenyans stuck in the red mud of an incomplete stadium, millions of shillings having been spent.”
Azimio is demanding accountability and for the affected families to be compensated. They also want the government to foot medical and burial bills.