Nairobi — Kenya's 60th Mashujaa Day celebrations, held at Wilson Kiprugut Chumo Stadium in Kericho County on Friday, began on a somber note as four women tragically lost their lives in a stampede while entering the venue.
The stampede occurred at 3 a.m. and was attributed by the police to an accidental spill of hot tea from a street vendor, which attendees mistakenly confused for teargas because of its steam.
What drew attention, however, was the conspicuous silence of the event's speakers, including President William Ruto, who failed to offer condolences to the victims' families during his one-hour speech.
President Ruto who presided over the celebrations had arrived at 10 am, long after the incident.
It was however not until five hours later that President Ruto expressed his condolences to the bereaved families through a post on his X account, prompting questions about whether his failure to address the tragedy during his speech was deliberate or otherwise.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Kericho County Governor Erick Mutai, both of whom addressed the audience at the stadium and the entire nation, also omitted any reference to the tragic incident or extended their condolences to the grieving families.
"My heart goes out to the families of the victims of the tragedy at the Kericho Green Stadium ahead of the Mashujaa Day celebrations. We extend our deepest condolences and pray for the quick recovery of the injured. Poleni sana," President Ruto posted.
During the stampede, a total of 13 victims sustained injuries, with four of them experiencing soft tissue injuries, while the others had injuries on their backs, legs, shoulders, and chests. The injured individuals range in age from 17 to 67 years old.
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Among the injured were three police officers, with one sustaining a fracture on the right leg, another having a cut wound on the right eye, and the third officer suffering a head injury.
Also injured were two Community Health Promoters one with a neck injury and the other with injuries on the back and left leg, police said.
"Several people who wanted to gain entry to the stadium were injured and rushed to Kericho County Referral Hospital. Sadly, four women passed away while undergoing treatment at the hospital," a police report seen by Capital FM states in part.
The government has since initiated an inquiry into the stampede to ascertain its precise cause and to establish preventive measures for potential future incidents.
Additionally, the government has committed to offering assistance to the families of the victims.
