A tragedy occurred in Githurai 45, Kiambu County, when thousands of bursary seekers turned up at the district officer’s office hoping to collect a school fees bursary form. James Atanga Sagwe, a father of two and a bodaboda rider, was one of them. Unfortunately, he died in a stampede that broke out while parents scrambled to get the forms. At least 30 other people were also injured in the incident.
Sagwe’s wife, Pamela Munyangi Atanga, criticized Ruiru Member of Parliament Simon King’ara for failing to put up proper structures that could have avoided the tragedy. She also faulted the bursary issuance process, saying the area MP could have managed the crowd better.
Pamela mourned her husband and explained that he was trying to secure bursary forms for their two children, Andrew Asa and Deborah Moraa. Andrew was a Form Four student at Kabianga High School, and Deborah was in her fourth year at Masinde Muliro University. She said her husband barely earned enough to afford their children’s school fees.
Elias Sawe, a relative of the deceased, echoed Pamela’s sentiments and said the MP should have made proper arrangements to manage large crowds. He also pointed out that the economy is tough, and people will come in numbers when called to receive bursaries.
The Ruiru MP did not respond to calls from the media about the incident. The tragedy highlights the need for better crowd control measures during public events and the importance of proper planning to avoid similar occurrences in the future.
