Man killed, others injured in stampede during issuance of bursary forms in Githurai 45

According to eyewitnesses, the deceased was pushed to the ground when thousands of applicants started fighting over who should be served first.

“The crowd was big... James (deceased) was number 783, they started pushing each other in the queues and unfortunately, he fell, and people ran over him. Three other women were also injured and rushed to a nearby hospital,” Caste Kawira narrated the ordeal.

James Atanga, a 45-year-old father of two, was rushed to a nearby hospital but transferred to Kenyatta University Teaching, Research and Referral Hospital for advanced treatment but he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Speaking at Kenyatta University Funeral Home where his body was transferred, his wife Pamela Munyangi said her husband left early in the morning to go and collect a bursary form for their child who is in Form Four.

“It was around 6.00am. He received a call from a friend who asked him to go and collect a bursary form, when he got there, there were so many people who were disorderly, pushing each other and fighting for a space in the queue. My husband fell and succumbed from the stampede,” she told Citizen Digital.

Ruiru Member of Parliament Simon King’ara, who was personally issuing the forms, had over the last week requested needy area residents to turn up in numbers to grab the limited chances.

Elias Sawe, a niece of the deceased, criticized the process used in issuing the forms, saying that the office of the MP could have done better in managing the crowd.

“At the moment we know the economy is bad. If you call people to give them bursaries, they will come in numbers. The MP should have known that and made proper arrangements on managing large crowds, my uncle should not have died,” he highlighted.

The process of issuing the forms was not halted and they are currently in Mwihoko ward serving another group.