Kenya: Student Dies, 138 Injured in Uon Dawn Stampede

FRANCIS Maina died and 138 other students were injured after a series of explosions triggered a stampede at the University of Nairobi hostels at dawn yesterday.

The third year student was one of the scores of students who jumped through the windows after three blasts in quick succession at 5.30am made the Kikuyu Campus students think al Shabaab had attacked the hostels.

The explosions happened thrice, at intervals of 20 seconds.

The panic-stricken students, with memories of the Garissa University massacre still fresh in their minds, started jumping through windows from as high as the fourth, fifth and six floors.

College principal Isaac Jumba said the injured were rushed to the nearby PCEA Kikuyu Hospital, and to the Karen Hospital and Kenyatta National Hospital.

"They [power cables] blew at around 5am and the students were shocked. They started running away for safety since they suspected that it was a terror attack", Jumba said.

Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi confirmed Maina died at the Karen Hospital of his injuries.



The underground cable next to a transformer supply power to Kimberly Hostel blew up at about 5am, leaving 170 students injured.


University of Nairobi Vice Chancellor Peter Mbithi told reporters at KNH: "The security men were not asleep. The Chief Security Officer was the one who turned off the power to prevent more explosions."

He said exams that were scheduled for today have been postponed to a future date.

Kenya Power CEO Ben Chumo said: "The explosions resulted from a faulty cable that lies below the foundation of the hostel and was widely shared with the public and university."

Student Asango Wycliffe, 20, of Kimberly Hall said: "I was naked when I heard explosions at around 5:30am, and then a friend woke me up. When I heard the shattering of glass, I jumped off from my fifth floor room, landing awkwardly, which resulted in my right arm at the elbow being injured."

When Uhuru Evans, 21, heard the explosions, he thought al Shabaab had invaded. "Based on the 147 comrades killed by terrorists in Garissa University College, I immediately thought al Shabaab had come to execute their previous threat on our campus. Everybody was afraid. Even after the Garissa attack, security in our campus hasn't been beefed up. We still have the same old G4S officers who would rather run alongside us for their dear lives," he said.