Stampede Injures 6 in Kenya Stadium
Stampede at Kericho Green Stadium has left six people injured as a massive crowd rushed to enter the venue in anticipation of the Mashujaa Day celebrations to be led by President William Ruto. The incident occurred with thousands of residents trying to gain early access as early as 1 a.m.
Mashujaa Day is an annual celebration in Kenya on the 20th of October. It is a celebration of honouring national heroes. During the year's event, the president is expected to officially launch the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) initiative and introduce the Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) program, aimed at providing essential medical services to Kenyan households.
The region, which had shown massive support for Ruto during the previous year's elections, contributed to the large turnout, resulting in a chaotic situation. The injured individuals, including a minor, were promptly transported to Kericho County Referral Hospital for medical care.
The Local law enforcement authorities stepped in to control the situation at the gates, which was complicated by muddy pavements outside the stadium due to heavy rainfall the previous evening.
Despite recent upgrades to the stadium for Ksh400 million, the venue reached its maximum capacity of 10,000 people. As of 6 a.m., many individuals remained outside the stadium, unable to gain access.
