Seven siblings left orphans in the Kericho Mashujaa stampede

Seven siblings have been orphaned following the death of their mother in the Kericho Green Stadium stampede on the eve of Mashujaa Day celebrations.

The siblings through the family spokesperson Joan Chebet,35,(deceased's daughter) have also decried , what they say is a lack of support from the Kericho County government, which they say has neither offered condolences nor financial assistance.

On the eve of the celebrations, their late mother Irene Chepkwony died at Kericho Green Stadium Gate C. 

A single mother and vegetable seller, she left home at 1am to accompany her son who was to perform for President William Ruto.

Ms Chebet recalls that a police officer manning the gate told her brother to leave the stadium alone, even though he knew their mother had died.

Traumatised and frightened, the brother walked home in the dark of night, his joyful hopes for an exciting day clouded by his mother's death.

Chebet further says the Kericho County government, led by Governor Eric Mutai, has not visited the families of the victims to offer condolences. 

She added that they have also been unable to raise the Sh20,000 needed by the Kericho County Hospital mortuary to conduct a post-mortem.

However, Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Dr Abdi Hassan, on Sunday revealed that a team led by the Kericho County Commissioner on Saturday visited three of the affected families and are compiling an assessment report for further action by the government.

"A team led by the Kericho County Commissioner has already visited three families and the national government will move swiftly to support the families. It was an unfortunate incident and the affected families are in our hearts, "stated Dr Abdi in a telephone conversation with the Nation. 

The body of Irene and other victims who died are still lying at the Kericho County mortuary.

The opposition Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition, led by Mr Raila Odinga, has called on the government to investigate the incident and compensate families who lost loved ones in the stampede.

In a statement, ODM minority leader Opiyo Wandayi said the stampede was a result of poor planning and alleged corruption. 

"We want to know what went wrong. Kenyans deserve to know who let them down. Kenyans deserve an explanation from the government, not the media. The only way to ensure that the next public holiday does not bring death, shame and failure is for there to be full accountability over Kericho," said Mr Wandayi.

"We were treated to horrific scenes of Kenyans stuck in the red mud of an incomplete stadium despite millions of shillings being spent. The national government must own up and come clean on Kericho before this mediocrity is transferred to the next county that hosts such public holidays,” he added.

During the stampede, on October 20, five people died and more than 16 were injured.

Majority of the survivors told the Nation that they wanted to be at the stadium to witness live proceedings of the 60th Mashujaa Day celebrations, which to Kericho residents is historic as the county was holding national holiday celebrations for the first time ever, under the rotational program in the 47 devolved government units.

In separate interviews, they said that they wanted to - “get a glimpse of the dignitaries, follow the military parade complete with display of fighter jets, helicopters and feel the air at a state function”

All the survivors also had a common desire, which they probably shared with the departed souls – to see President William Ruto in person – even though they would not get close to him.

President William Ruto, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Kericho Governor Erick Mutai – the only ones who spoke during the celebrations – did not make any reference to the incident in their speeches despite the police having released an update on it.

The President however, later sent messages of condolences to those who died in the incident and wished quick recovery to the survivors.

“My heart goes 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” Dr Ruto wrote in his X (formerly Twitter) account.

Survivors gave harrowing accounts of what befell them and the thin line between life and death in what dampened a would have been historic moment for them, with some having sustained permanent injuries while others escaped with soft tissue injuries.

The five victims – all women and a minor - died following a stampede at the entrance to the stadium which the police claim to have been caused by a hawker who accidentally spilled tea on a makeshift fireplace, a position that has been challenged by accounts from eye witnesses and survivors. 

Shoes, clothes, papers and some personal effects were strewn all over Gate C, the scene of the incident, with most of the stuff stuck in the mud in the second day of the aftermath, a sad reminder of the victims who lost their lives, as the scene has not been cleared.

Ms Ruth Rop, a 63 year old widow and mother of nine children said she was devastated that her seventh born daughter – Doreen Chepkirui - left home alive on Thursday night only for the sad news to filter in that she was dead, a few hours later.

“It is so painful. I have raised my children in very difficult circumstances after their father died several years ago,” Ms Rop said at her home in Bagao village, Ainamoi constituency.

It has emerged that most residents of Bagao village decided to attend the celebrations as there had been a power blackout in the area for several days and they could not follow the proceedings on television.

“We are sure as a family that had electricity supply reconnected by Kenya Power Company earlier, our sister (Chepkirui) would not be lying in the morgue at this moment” Ms Angela Cheruiyot, a sister to the deceased who was 23 years, said.

Mr Andrew Cheruiyot Ngeno, also a resident of Bagao village, sustained leg injuries after falling to the ditch and said it was by the grace of God that he survived the incident.

“It was like a scene out of a movie, as it happened so fast and I found myself on the ground as people ran all over, stepping on those of us in the ditch while wailing on top of their voices,” Mr Cheruiyot, a father of two said.

 “Suddenly, there was darkness and the next thing I knew was being attended to at Kericho county referral hospital. I do not know how I got there” Mr Cheruiyot said on Saturday.

Mr Gilbert Cheruiyot, a resident of Merigi in Bomet county who works at the James Finlays tea company said he was among the people who lined up in the hope of being the first to be allowed into the stadium by security officers who stood guard at the entrance.

“There were thousands of people who jammed the gates as early as midnight in the hope that they would be cleared to enter and secure a sitting position before the public pavilions were full as there were indications not everyone would enter,” Mr Cheruiyot said.

He said pushing and shoving started at Gate C which was the main public entry (which journalists were also to check in through) at around 3:00.m which had been announced as the official time of opening the gates.

“Police officers attempted to push people back, but they kept inching forward and at one point a section of the crowd fell on the ditch which had not been filled up by the contractor who upgraded the stadium,” Mr Cheruiyot who sustained chest, legs and hand injuries said at the Kericho County Referral hospital.

Upgrade of the stadium has not been completed even though it was handed over to the government by the contractor for the purposes of hosting Mashujaa Day celebrations.

“Hell broke loose and we found ourselves on the ground with people running over us. It was a very scary moment in which several were injured, others died of suffocation and internal injuries inflicted after being run over,” Mr Cheruiyot said.

Along with the other victims, he was rushed to hospital with police saying an ambulance was on standby and one from the fire fighting department was used to take the injured for treatment.

“I wanted to see the President (Dr Ruto) at close proximity instead of following it on television, as it was an historic moment for the celebrations to be held a short distance from where I work.

But I ended up in hospital with injuries,” Mr Cheruiyot said in an interview on Saturday.

Mercy Chelangat, and Ms Doreen Chepkirui – the victims who succumbed to the injuries sustained - had by press time been identified by their families.

A police report had indicated that a woman who was hawking tea near the stadium entrance had accidentally spilled tea on the fireplace with Mashujaa Day attendees mistaking it for a teargas canister lobbed at them, leading to the pandemonium.

But survivors were unanimous that there had not been a fire incident at the scene before the pandemonium broke out.

“Claims that there was a fire incident are not true as the pandemonium was caused by people who were pushing in and security officers attempting to control the movement and entry to the stadium” Ms Lilian Korir, a resident of Kapsoit said.

A similar position was taken by junior police officers and eye witnesses who held the strong position that the pandemonium was as a result of the attempts by members of the public to push through the security cordon at gate C.

Three police officers, a National Youth Service Officer, two Community Health Promoters were among the 13 survivors in a police report, but the numbers have since risen.

Administrators at the Kericho County Referral hospital declined to talk to journalists, who sought to know the status of the victims and whether or not they had been discharged from the facility, saying there was a gag order.

“We have been directed to refer any inquiries to the national government and that we should not provide updates on the matter. It is beyond us” A senior doctor at the hospital told the Nation.

Read: Those we lost in Mashujaa Day stampede in Kericho