- Another theory is that a rich man in town who recently enrolled his children is suspected to be a devil worshiper behind the disaster.
- Former Senator Boni Khalwale on Tuesday demanded the prohibition of all churches from using school classrooms on Sunday. Some claim devil-worshipping cults could be at work.
Was it a ghostly figure with a teacher's body and a cow-like head that sent children into a panic and caused a stampede?
Was it deadly devil worship linked with a businessman or church-cults?
Was it a teacher caning students who fled in terror?
Was it a prank?
Or did a child simply trip on the metre-wide concrete staircase, causing a stampede that killed 14 pupils at Kakamega Primary School on Monday?
Theories are swirling about, some by pupils interviewed after the accident, some promoted by the general public. The 'supernatural' theories seem to be gaining ground.
The cause of the stampede remains a mystery, however, as police work round the clock to establish what caused the horrific accident at 5.30[m that shocked the nation.
Cops aren't talking; they're trying to figure out what happened and why. They said visits by dignitaries on Monday delayed the probe.
The three-story school is closed until next Tuesday. The top floor is a hall and the two lower floors house classrooms for 3,128pupils —minus 14.
On Wednesday the school released names of the 14 victims and their places of burial.
They are Antonnet Iramwenya, Prudence Eliza, Catherine Oloo, Naila Kiverenge, Nicole Achola, Venessa Adesa, Fidel Kubutie, Simon Waweru, Samuel Simekha, Lavender Akisa, Junne Nakhumicha, Joseph Musami and Bertha Munywele — all in Classes 4 and 5.
Naila was buried on Tuesday in accordance with Islamic rites. The burial at Kakamega Cemetery was attended by Sports CS Amina Mohamed.
Theories abound about what could have triggered the apparently panic-induced stampede down one or two levels of stairs.
Initial interviews with pupils at the school moments after the incident indicated that a teacher who scared the children with a cane triggered the rush downstairs.
Some pupils said they saw a strange figure that looked like a teacher with a cow-like head and started running and tripping and falling.
Some said a teacher suspected to be a devil worshiper could be behind the stampede.
Others said one student ran ahead and blocked the staircase with his hands, a nasty prank, forcing terrified students to pile up before him. When they overpowered him, some fell on top of him and others ran over them.
Yet another theory — totally unsubstantiated — is that a rich man in town who recently enrolled his children is suspected to be a devil worshiper who could have caused the disaster. He is said to have recently enrolled his children.
Former Senator Boni Khalwale on Tuesday demanded that all churches, mostly charismatic, be prohibited from using classrooms for Sunday services, claiming some could be cults worshipping the devil.
Addressing parents and pupils at the school on Tuesday, Education CS George Magoha was categorical that investigations would get to the bottom of the disaster.
"I will not accept any report that the children started running away without knowing what had happened," he said, appearing to rule out irrational hysterical behaviour.
A memorial service for the other 13 pupils will be held on Friday at Bukhungu stadium.
The county government announced it will pay hospital bills, provide coffins, transport and offer financial support to the families in cooperation with the national government.
The school was established by colonialists in 1943 and launched as the Indian Scool of Kakamega in 1947. It became the Kakamega Primary school in late 1963 after independence.
(Edited by V. Graham)