Two killed in stampede during Christmas food distribution at Otuoma's residence

What was meant to be a Christmas gesture of goodwill turned into tragedy in Matayos Constituency, Busia County, after a stampede during a food distribution drive at the residence of Governor Paul Otuoma left two people dead and several others injured, some critically.

As families mourn their loved ones and survivors battle pain in hospital wards, anger and grief are mounting, with relatives of the victims demanding accountability.

Family members identified the deceased as a 67-year-old man living with a disability and an 81-year-old woman.

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According to residents and family members, many of them elderly, disabled, women and children arrived as early as dawn on Tuesday, hoping to receive basic foodstuffs including sugar, cooking oil, salt and tea leaves, alongside small cash tokens.

However, the crowd swelled far beyond expectations, with no clear crowd control measures, security arrangements or a structured system to prioritise vulnerable groups.

Within minutes after the distribution began, pushing and panic broke out, triggering a stampede that left bodies on the ground and others screaming for help.

By the time calm was restored, at least two people had lost their lives, while several others had sustained serious injuries.

Tragically, relatives say neither of the deceased had received any food by the time they were trampled.

“They went there early because they were old and weak. They thought they would be assisted first,” said one relative. “Instead, they died hungry.”

According to Erick Wanyama, residents had been invited to the governor’s home for the Christmas outreach, but the exercise lacked proper crowd management from the outset.

He said the distribution reportedly began with elderly men receiving Sh200, followed by women who were given food items and Sh500 in cash, an arrangement that only fuelled tension and disorder as more people surged forward.

Wanyama added that people who arrived late felt they were being denied a chance to enter the homestead after being locked out, prompting pushing among the crowd.

“People were told to come and receive foodstuffs, including one kilogramme of sugar, cooking oil, salt and tea leaves,” Wanyama said.

“Many turned up, including men, women, children and the elderly. When the distribution started, people pushed each other, and that is when the stampede happened.”

The deaths have sparked outrage among villagers, many of whom say the tragedy reflects a deeper failure by leaders to plan charity events with dignity and safety, especially in poor communities where desperation for food is high.

“My grandmother went there very early hoping to get food for Christmas, but she never received anything. We are in deep pain as a family,” said Collins Ouma Juma, a grandson of one of the deceased.

Rispah Anyango, a daughter of the elderly woman, also blamed poor organisation for the tragedy, saying her mother stood no chance in the disorderly crowd.

“She fell, and people stepped on her,” Anyango said.

“My mother was overpowered, weak and could not breathe. If there had been proper order, she would still be alive. We want the government to take responsibility,” she added.

Afrikanus Wanyama, a brother of the disabled man who died, said the deaths could have been prevented with better planning and security.

“There was no security and no clear system. These were elderly people. My brother died a painful death before getting the food he had gone for, and we want justice,” he said.

Mary Nafula, a relative, said the family is struggling to cope with burial costs following the incident at a time when other families are celebrating Christmas.

“We are suffering as a family. We have our loved one at the morgue when people are celebrating with their families. We are now struggling with burial expenses. We are asking leaders to help us and tell us the truth about what happened,” Nafula said.

At Busia County Referral Hospital, grief-stricken families gathered as doctors attended to victims suffering from fractures, chest injuries and trauma caused by trampling.

“We are suffering. I wish our people had not attended the function,” said Praxides Barasa, fighting back tears.

“Some of us have lost breadwinners. Others still have relatives admitted to hospital. We do not have money for treatment or burial.”

The families are now demanding that the county government steps in to cater for medical expenses, burial costs and compensation, arguing that the tragedy could have been avoided with proper planning and security.

“This was not a private family event. People were invited. The crowd was expected. There should have been order, security and clear arrangements. What happened shows negligence,” Barasa said.

By the time of publication, the Busia County Government had not issued an official statement explaining what happened or confirming the number of casualties.

Efforts to obtain a response from the Busia Governor’s Office were unsuccessful, with officials indicating they were yet to compile a full report on the incident.

However, Busia County Deputy Commissioner Solomon Komen said investigations were ongoing and that the bodies of the deceased were awaiting post-mortem examinations.