Several voters injured in city centre stampede
A number of people were Tuesday morning injured and taken to hospital after they were trampled upon in a stampede at Moi Avenue Primary School, in Starehe constituency, polling centre.
The hundreds of agitated voters pushed and shoved, causing the stampede at the centre that has 14,021 registered voters.
The voters, who arrived as early as 12am hoping to be first in line to cast their ballots, were pushing and shoving as some struggled to locate their polling points (stations) amidst the sea of humanity.
In the process, some who included women, fell down and were trampled upon.
STANDBY AMBULANCE
Luckily, there was an ambulance on standby and those injured were rushed to hospital.
A man who identified himself only as Jimmy was lucky to walk away with a limp.
“Although I am happy to have finally voted, I have been injured and I am now limping home,’’ Jimmy, said at 6.45am, as he limped to his vehicle.
He reported at the centre at 4am.
John Kamau, a trader in Ngara, said he opted to spend the night at the polling centre with the hope that he would be among the first to cast his vote.
But by 6.05 am, he was yet to vote and was moving up and down trying to locate his polling station number 7, a disappointed man.
POLLING POINTS NOT MARKED
Security officers came in handy for the hundreds of voters struggling to find their polling points which were not clearly marked.
The surging crowds did not make matters easy for those looking for their “lines.’’ The centre has 21 polling stations and each was expected to have at least 700 voters.
By 5.30am, parking spaces around the centre had already been taken up and those who came after that time had to look elsewhere to park their vehicles and walk back to vote.
