Many injured as Kitengela locals battle for donated New Year food

It was the strongest takes its all in maize flour, cooking fat and wheat flour scramble for the donation by Governor Ole Lenku in Kitengela on Tuesday. [Peterson Gigaitha, Standard]

Several people were on Tuesday injured at Kitengela, Kajiado County following a stampede that occurred while they were scrambling for food donated to them for New Year celebrations.

The foodstuff was donated to them by the Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku.

Trouble started immediately after Governor Lenku left the area after distributing a small portion of the food.

Armed police officers who were deployed to oversee the distribution, watched helplessly, as hundreds of men and women started scrambling for the food.

Many of the victims complained of hand and neck injuries, while others got fractured legs.

''This is not fair, the food donated to us is very little, we are very many and I just can’t wait to see others benefit with the food as I watch '' shouted Maria Mwende a resident.

Those injured were taken to a nearby health centre where they were treated and discharged.

According to the area MCA Paul Matuya, the food donation was meant for 600 families but the number increased to more than 1000.

''We had organised foodstuffs for six hundred families, however, the number has increased and we were not able to control them,'' said Matuya.

Addressing the residents earlier, Governor Lenku urged them to shun divisive politics being introduced by some politicians in the county.

''We are aware that some of the politicians in this county are introducing bad politics of dividing our people, I’m telling you as we get to this new year, that type of politics has no place in Kenya, '' said Lenku.