Several people were injured on Tuesday as they tried to force their way into the Kasarani stadium to witness the inauguration of President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Hell broke loose when police officers manning the gates closed down some of the gates in an effort to control the crowds streaming in.
People became agitated by the move and started chanting the “haki yetu” slogans while charging forward. Several people have been left injured, among them children.
The security officer had a hard time trying to control the irate crowd. Police have also been blamed for facilitating the injuries after they resorted to clobbering those who were forcing their way in. Teargas was also lobbed into the stadium forcing crowns to scamper for safety.
Police use teargas to disperse crowds that are trying to force their way into Kasarani for #InaugurationKE. pic.twitter.com/OCV9iDJxcO
— NTV Kenya (@ntvkenya) November 28, 2017
Kasarani Stadium has a capacity of holding up to 60,000 people but planners of the event had indicated that they were expecting more than 100,000 people to attend the inauguration ceremony.
The incident at Kasarani has happened just hours before another looming showdown between supporters of the National Super Alliance (NASA) and the police who will be holding a memorial service later Monday at Jacaranda Grounds.
Kenya politics: Reuters team at Jacaranda in Eastlands say the area where NASA plans to hold rally is sealed off.
— Katharine Houreld (@khoureld) November 28, 2017
Swearing in ceremonies should be a time when a nation comes together. Instead, Kenya looks starkly divided. At Kasarani there is triumphalism, a campaign rally feel. In Embakasi, police beatings, teargas and despair.
— Adrian Blomfield (@adrianblomfield) November 28, 2017