Four women died on Friday in a late-night stampede near a stadium in Kericho, western Kenya, where President William Ruto led “Heroes’ Day” celebrations a few hours later, police said.
The incident occurred around 3 a.m. local time (midnight GMT) when a woman selling tea outside the Kericho Green Stadium accidentally spilled some into a fire, causing a stampede as a large crowd waited to get inside to get to the stadium as celebrations were planned there tomorrow.
“Several people…were injured and taken to Kericho County Referral Hospital. (…) The deaths of four unidentified women were confirmed in the said hospital,” said a police report seen by AFP.
No information was given on the number of injured.
“There was a stampede caused by a tea seller outside the stadium who accidentally spilled hot tea into a fire near Gate C on the public road. “The public panicked and mistook it for tear gas attacks,” the report said.
Celebrations of the holiday took place as planned on Friday morning at this 10,000-seat stadium, including a speech by William Ruto.
Heroes’ Day, celebrated on October 20, pays particular tribute to the fighters who took part in the fight for Kenya’s independence in 1963.