Several students were injured following a stampede at the University of Kabianga after part of a lecture hall structure gave way, triggering fear and chaos.
In a statement on Monday, April 13, Vice Chancellor Eric Koech confirmed that the incident occurred at around 1:00 p.m. when a piece of mortar detached from the slab in Lecture Theatre Block Four during an ongoing lecture session.
"The debris fell onto a ramp, causing alarm among students who were attending a lecture. In the resulting panic, a stampede occurred and some students jumped from the upper floor, in an attempt to escape," the statement read.
The sudden alarm led to a rush among students trying to exit the building, with some resorting to extreme measures to flee what they feared was a collapsing structure.
The university further confirmed that multiple students were injured during the chaos and were quickly taken to hospital for treatment.
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"We regret to inform the public that some students sustained injuries during the incident. The injured students were promptly rushed to Kericho County Referral Hospital, where they are currently receiving medical attention," the statement added.
Following the incident, emergency responders and local authorities moved swiftly to contain the situation and assist those affected.
"We sincerely appreciate the swift response from Kericho County Authorities, as well as the assistance provided by other stakeholders during this unfortunate incident," the statement further read.
Following the incident, engineers from the State Department for Public Works were dispatched to assess the structural integrity of the affected building.
This comes weeks after the National Construction Authority (NCA) released additional details on two separate building collapses in Nairobi and Kericho counties.
In a statement on Friday, March 20, the authority confirmed that the incidents occurred on Wednesday, March 18, in the Westlands and Kaptebeswet areas of Belgut.
According to NCA, the first incident occurred at a construction site in Westlands, Nairobi, where a high-rise building under development partially collapsed during ongoing works.
NCA explained that the collapse happened during slab casting works on the upper floors of the building, pointing to a structural issue during construction.
"The incident occurred during the casting of the 22nd floor slab, which collapsed onto the 21st floor slab. Preliminary findings indicate that the incident involved a partial structural failure, with the probable cause being formwork failure," the statement added.
NCA confirmed that the incident resulted in one death and left another person injured, who was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
The project, according to the authority, had been duly registered and was being undertaken by a private developer.
"The project is being undertaken by Canaan Developers Limited for the developer Canaan Towers, and was registered with the Authority," the statement further read.
Meanwhile, NCA stated that the Kericho collapse occurred shortly after concrete placement on the second floor, with early findings pointing to structural weaknesses.
"The incident occurred during the casting of a second-floor slab, which collapsed shortly after placement of concrete. Preliminary investigations indicate that the collapse may have been caused by inadequate propping and insufficient structural reinforcement," the statement noted.
The incident in Kericho resulted in one fatality and left three people injured, all of whom were taken to hospital for treatment.
The authority further clarified that the construction project was registered and being handled by licensed entities.
"The development is registered with the Authority and is being undertaken by Flatmas Enterprises for the developer Dr. Philemon Kiptarus Leting," the statement read.
