Three feared dead in graduation stampede

By Cyrus Ombati

At least three people are feared dead in a stampede at the Administration Police Training College, Embakasi during the pass-out parade of more than 4,000 recruits, which was presided over by president Kibaki.

The stampede occurred at the entrance of the college along the new by-pass where a crowd had surged struggling to get into the venue of the event.

Witnesses said police officers who were deployed at the entrance had taken long in screening the huge crowd that led to a surge.

The event was attended by thousands of people most of them who were relative and friends of the new police officers. Assuming every recruit invited five relatives, there were at least 20,000 people at the event.

“There had been a huge crowd and they were all trying to get into the venue of the pass-out parade when a push in started that led to the stampede. I can see a body and many have been taken to the hospital,” said a witness.

Unknown number of people were injured and were attended to at the scene and local hospitals and discharged.

The crowd had formed several queues to enable screening of those getting in to ensure they were safe for the event.

The incident occurred about a kilometer away from where the ceremony got underway soon after the president arrived.

Another witness said the security personnel who manning the entrance wanted to ensure no terrorist accessed the venue.

This is in reaction to the ongoing terror attacks in the country.

“The officers could not compromise security and were under instructions to screen all those who were getting in. It was then that the crowd became impatient and pushed forward.”

There had been a build up before the president arrived at the occasion. It was difficult for those inside the event to realize what was going on outside. The presidential motorcade used a different entrance to get into the venue while the incident happened at the gate that is along the by-pass.

It is not clear if the president was informed of the tragedy as the event went on after the it occurred.

AP commandant Kinuthia Mbugua later regretted the incident saying it was not their wish for it to occur.

“We just learnt of the stampede and we regret it. Those affected had come to witness the graduation of their loved ones,” said Mr Mbugua.

The college commandant Omar Shurie said they had made arrangements to ensure no criminals accessed the event.