Local politicians and clerics have agreed that the deaths of 14 Kakamega Primary School pupils in a stampede at the school this week was not an ordinary accident and demanded a public inquest to unravel the mystery.
Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, former Senator Boni Khalwale, Ford-K leader Moses Wetangula and Kuppet chairman Omboko Milemba were in concurrence that voodoo and cultism may have caused the death.
Pathological tests done by Dickson Muchana on bodies of the deceased confirmed the deaths resulted from suffocation.
Khalwale and Milemba however believe otherwise and yesterday demanded that an inquest be established where people would volunteer information.
The leaders spoke during a requiem for 13 victims of the last Monday tragedy attended by a host of leaders including 10 governors and the ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi.
Mysterious deaths
Oparanya sparked off the conversation by urging the clergy to pray to exorcise a tide of terror acts and mystery accidents that keep hurting residents within and outside the county.
He observed: “Kakamega County has had many calamities since 2014, the same year, seven people drowned after their car veered into Isiukhu River. Another eight died of terror the same year in Mandera. In 2018, we converged here to pray for 31 people who perished in a road accident at Fort Tenan and now this,”
The Governor said as Kenyans pray for quick relief to the bereaved families and the school family, they should not forget praying for greater peace in the county. Milemba said when he visited the staircase where the deaths occurred he saw nothing treacherous and risky to pupils.
Wetangula said the DCI has a limited mandate to investigate the incident particularly should issues at hand involve spirits. In circumstances like this under the law, it is not possible for the police to investigate the calamity holistically.
“For me there was an aspect of negligence. How do you allow the pupils to trudge downstairs like cattle in a cattle dip?”Asked Wetangula.
Khalwale said the problem at the school was too complex to be handled solely by police. He also demanded to know some churches that hire classrooms at the school for their Sunday prayers were vetted by government.