Kenya shuts down stadium disaster site

  1. Posted on Thursday 28 October 2010 - 13:01
    Gbentil
    Image of Gbentil
    Glorea Bentil, AfricaNews reporter in Accra, Ghana
    The Nyayo National Stadium and the City Stadium which recorded eight deaths in a stampede last Saturday have been closed indefinitely.
    Kenya:Police Pay Increased
    "To ban these stadiums from all football activities is the best decision," Football Kenya Limited (FKL) chairman Mohammed Hatmy told BBC Sport. KFL claims City Stadium management has failed to comply with directives to bring the venue up to Fifa standards.

    Meanwhile, Fifa President Sepp Blatter has sent his condolences to the "Kenyan football community" after the tragedy.

    "I wish to express extreme sorrow and extend our condolences to the Kenyan football community and, most importantly, to family, friends and loved ones following these tragic deaths," Blatter said in a statement.

    "I have learned that an investigation is already underway.

    "Everything possible must be done to understand the cause of this terrible incident in order to prevent such a tragic happening at this stadium again."

    Kenyan police are already looking into the causes behind the disaster, which occurred at a league match between popular sides Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards even though the stadium was not full.

    Prime Minister Raila Odinga hopes to have the inquiry wrapped up by the end of the week.
    A similar tragedy befell the same Nyayo National Stadium in 2005, as a teenage fan died after a crush developed ahead of a World Cup qualifier against Morocco.

    As a result, Fifa barred the use of the stadium for six months while the Kenyan government promised an investigation, even though little materialised.

    "Once a public inquiry is conducted, its implementation - unlike in the past - is not an option but is mandatory," Kabando wa Kabando, Kenya's deputy Sports Minister, told the BBC earlier this week.

    The latest inquiry is set to focus on ticketing and the deployment of security personnel for Kenyan league matches.

    Six supporters died at the Nyayo stadium on Saturday, with a further two losing their lives in hospital as a result of their injuries.

Latest News

  1. OPINION: Welcome to African Green Revolution24/05For the past century and a half, Africa has tried various agricultural approaches without much success.
  2. Egyptians vote in historic election23/05Egyptians began voting freely on Wednesday for the first time to pick their president in a wide open election that pits Islamists against men who serv…
  3. Africa Day 2012 - a moment for reflection and…22/0525th May is Africa Day. For many years it has been a celebration of African unity. It dates back to 1963 when the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) …
  4. South Africa's African agenda21/05The Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Kgalema Mothlanthe paid a rare visit to Ghana in April at the invitation of John Dramani Mahama …
  5. Women struggle to rinse hunger, poverty stains21/05Just looking at her one clearly appreciates that she is old and frail therefore in need of support for food, clothing and shelter to live comfortably …
  6. Climate Climate change affects migratory birds…21/05Changes in the climate globally have affected the movement of both migratory and resident species of birds, Nature Uganda has said.
  7. Ghana: Foreign retailers cited for currency…18/05The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) is attributing the sharp depreciation of the Ghana cedi against major currencies to the illegal activiti…
  8. Kenya: Community radio brings succour to…18/05Korogocho, a slum in northeastern Nairobi with 100,000 inhabitants, had many of the ingredients for a political explosion similar to those that rocked…
  9. Veld fires 'flame' Zimbabwe's…16/05Over the years, Zimbabwe has experienced the scourge of veld fires destroying property worth thousands of dollars.
  10. Liberia commends ECOWAS for support14/05The induction training of pioneer Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Volunteers for Liberia kicked off in Monrovia, with the Deputy Mi…
  11. Vanishing Lake Chad puts 30m lives at risk14/05As you approach the Lake Chad basin from Maiduguri, in north-eastern Nigeria, the evidence of despair is telling.
  12. Heavy rains cause havoc in Kenya14/05Heavy Rainfall continued to wreak havoc across the country leading to the suspension of relief food in some parts of the country as most roads in Turk…
  13. Zimbabwe: Growth points lie dormant14/05The Zimbabwean government mooted the concept of growth points in the 1980s as a means of decongesting cities and towns.
  14. Sierra Leone improves in infant mortality11/05Sierra Leone has improved in infant mortality cases according to Save the Children- World Motherhood index 2012 report. The West Africa country descri…
  15. Zimbabwe: Resettled farmers fail to utilize…10/05Resettled farmers in Zimbabwe are failing to utilize land due to inadequate farming inputs and lack of resources.
News archive