Mercy Auma
The Director of Public Prosecutions has indicated that the investigations into the dramatic stampede at Kakamega Primary School which claimed 15 lives should be done through a public inquest.
According to Star, documents filed by the public prosecution Counsel Erick Mutua cite that the matter is to be placed before a magistrate under section 386 of the Criminal Procedure Code for a formal closure to be made by way of a public inquest.
“I find that there is no clear criminal act that has been committed that is evident. No persons have been mentioned in connection with the stampede as well. This was an unfortunate event and innocent children lost their lives,” Mutua is quoted.
Mutua further indicated that the people who recorded their statements pertaining to the incident did not directly witness as things occurred. For instance, the teachers went to the rescue after an alarm was sounded as well as parents who appeared after the incident had taken place.
Read: Government Pathologist Reveals Kakamega Pupils Died Of Suffocation
“None of the above-mentioned witnesses identified these boys by name, physical description or winch particular class they belonged to,” Mutua said.
The Kakamega Stampede which took place in February was one that shocked the nation with different theories and people giving controversial statements on what took place.
In a detailed report by government pathologist Dickson Mchana, the primary school children died of suffocation.
Mchana stated that the autopsy was first conducted on six children because the circumstances under which they died were known, with indications that the autopsies of the other remaining children would be carried out.
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“We did a limited autopsy because the circumstances are known but all in all, the six all died of suffocation,” said Mchana.
The pupils were said to be running from classes after 5 PM although there were rumours and controversies surrounding the circumstances under which it happened.
Apparently, the students were using the staircase to get out and on seeing a teacher with a cane they all scampered for safety resulting in the tragedy.
10 out of the 14 pupils who died were class, five pupils, from different streams, while the other four were in class four.
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