No more last-minute arrivals to public functions: MINA » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 14 — The government is considering revised crowd control measures to prevent a recurrence of the stampede witnessed during the 2023 Mashujaa Day celebrations in Kericho, resulting in the tragic death of four attendees.
Raymond Omollo, the Interior Principal Secretary, announced on Thursday the government would implement strict measures preventing last-minute arrivals in arenas during public meetings.
Omollo spoke during an inspection tour of the Masinde Muliro Stadium in Kanduyi, Bungoma County, where the National Celebrations Committee assessed readiness ahead of the upcoming Madaraka Day celebrations.
“We had a very unfortunate event in Kericho, there was a stampede, and of course, we’ve had to ask ourselves what may have gone wrong,” he stated.
“We will never want a repeat of anything like that to happen, not just in Bungoma but in any part of this country.”
Omollo said barring last-minute arrivals would prevent a rush that could potentially lead to a stampede.
He acknowledged the challenges associated with hosting national events outside Nairobi, emphasizing the need for better planning and execution.
“What we are going to do differently is this time we will make the stadium accessible much earlier than we have done in previous instances.”
Further, the Interior PS emphasized the need for collaboration with local leadership, including the Governor and Members of the County Assembly, along with security intelligence teams and National Government Administration officials, to ensure seamless planning and execution of the event.
“We are going to work hand in hand so that the planning is much better than what we had in Kericho so that we do not have a repeat of anything like that again,” he assured.
Following the Kericho incident, some leaders blamed top government officials for inadequate preparation.
Senator Samson Cherargei held Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba accountable for the stampede, emphasizing the need for higher safety standards in stadium construction.
“The supervising ministry of Sports, CS Ababu, must be held responsible for this unfortunate incident. This is a clear pointer to substandard work done by the ministry at the stadium,” Senator Cherargei stated.
Expressing condolences to the affected families, Senator Cherargei emphasized accountability, stating, “My apologies to the entire country.”
Police attributed the stampede, which occurred at 3 am, to an accidental spill of hot tea from a street vendor, mistaken by attendees for teargas due to its steam.
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