The Kakamega Primary School pupils who perished in a stampede on Monday suffocated.
This is according to the postmortems conducted on Thursday. Some 14 pupils died. County pathologist Dickson Muchana said the deceased had problems of the lungs caused by the pile-up of pupils during the stampede.
"We are doing limited autopsies on the bodies because the circumstances are known and the deaths not contested. If we open up the skulls we'll interfere with tomorrow's programme," Dr Muchana said.
By 2pm on Thursday, six bodies had been examined and their results were similar. Muchana said only one of the deceased had a dislocated right shoulder, presumably suffered as they struggled to free themselves.
Parents and relatives patiently waited outside the Kakamega Referral Hospital mortuary for results.
A joint funeral service for the remaining 13 pupils will be conducted in Bukhungu Stadium, Kakamega town, on Friday before the bodies are handed over to relatives for burial on dates of their choice.
On Wednesday, three survivors of the stampede who had been admitted to the county hospital were discharged. Two other pupils were placed in the ICU. On Thursday, one of them was to be transferred to the general wards. The other was said to be stable but would remain in the ICU under observation, said an officer conversant with their progress.
On Tuesday evening, families and friends converged at the storey building, lit candles and held prayers for the departed souls.
The police, however, remained mum on the progress of investigations. On Thursday, county police commander Bernard Muli referred the press to Western regional coordinator Ann Ng’etich for a briefing. Ng'etich was said to be locked up in meetings for the better part of the day.
Several theories as to the cause of the death of the learners have been swirled about. Some point at ghosts while others at a teacher with a cane.
