Nairobi, October 24, 2011- One year on, the Nyayo Stadium tragedy remains unresolved. The dark evening in which five people were killed and tens injured still blights Kenya's national stadium.AIPS Executive Committee Member Evelyn Watta shares her painful experience as a witness as questions linger why the inquest is yet to take off.

It was Kenya's biggest football derby, pitting two of the oldest community clubs Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards, but for a sports journalist it was an assignment anyone would have wanted to play a role.

I managed to tag along a friend who had never been to a stadium for a football match to Nyayo to record events of this historic day-for all the wrong reasons.

The stadium was unusually full for a local tie and not even the heavy showers that had pounded the city had dampened the carnival like atmosphere that characterizes meetings between the two sides.Indeed it is the El Classico of Kenyan soccer.

The muddy feet and dripping clothes evidenced their passion to cheer on their teams. With the kick off barely 10 minutes away the queues outside, the turnstiles at gate number 2 could not handle the long queue of fans pressing forward from outside.

As the players came out on to the pitch, the crowd got excited and the thunderous roar jabbed the patience of the hundreds still trying to make their way in.

Even for the VIP gate that also served as the media access gate there was the normal pushing and shoving to get inside, but looking at the crowds outside this felt different.

"Go sit at the less crowded area on the right of the stadium,” a friend advised us to avoid the jammed VIP area.

The calmness here, compared with the chaos outside, was startling. But disastrously, tens of fans were making their way inside through the nearby gate-too many people into a small space, the over two-decade-old turn-style squeaking away menacingly.

There were a few policemen helping the ground stewards, but they did not appear to have a plan to control the surging crowds. I grabbed my camera and started clicking away as more fans passed me. I wanted a better view, a shot of the crowds making their way through the small space. But what I saw shocked me…the gates had come down.

Hundreds had finally made their way in, without a comment. The scene behind was ghastly. Some lay down pressed on by the metals and some being trampled on by the football hungry crowds.

"People are dying!," Someone who had made it out of the crowds shouted panting, sweating as he held on to his shoe.But his cries for help to anyone and no one in particular-were drowned by the deafening cheers and the incessant vuvuzela horns from the cheering thousands of fans.

The terrible sights of men, women being lifted out of stampede to the terraces above sent shivers down my spine.The pressure was so intense. It had brought down the steel gates, causing an inrush to the stadium, onto tens lying injured,some probably already dead under the metal rubble.

It was meaningless snapping away,more like standing by watching the dead as they desperately cried for help. I tried to administer basic first aid as I vainly tried to attract help, as several lay injured, dead on the grounds just inside gate two.

Amongst them was a young man, slightly built. I thought I saw him twitch, meaning he was alive. I attempted to resuscitate him. After a few attempts, his lips moved, a frail whisper. "Vic, Vic…."as he clung on to dear life…

The medical assistance on call at the stadium were those assigned to the teams, just a handful. They were clearly overwhelmed.

There were some laudable efforts. I remember seeing former Kenyan international goalkeeper Mathew Ottamax Owino running onto the pitch, pleading with the police, fans anybody willing to listen to help.Amazingly he was kicked out of the field of play by fans who mistook his actions as an unwanted disruption to a tantalizing clash.

Others tried to examine the extent of injuries. As I frantically fanned 'Vic’, waiting for help, rescue. Amidst the grotesque scene we were witnessing, it was abhorrent to see several young men trying to empty the pockets of those who lay injured, dead.

With cars haphazardly parked within the stadium's perimeter wall, it was nearly impossible for the ambulances to gain access into the stadium. Members of the public literally pushed a salon car to clear the way for an ambulance to rush victims to hospital.

'Vic' was belatedly attended to inside an ambulance. I was in shock, barely able to speak as I saw three bodies lying next to the wheels. A minute later the paramedics wheeled 'Vic' out. He joined the list of those who had lost their lives in the stampede. Shocked, I wailed.

His cousin 'Aggrey' who had seen me trying to help was uncontrollable.

"What happened to my brother Victor?” he enquired as he shook Victor Juma's lifeless body. "Oh no…this is a nightmare!"

I left the stadium prematurely as the match went on, as I hurried away unable to hold my emotions any more.

Watching the scenes on TV and following the stories, it was difficult to comprehend what happened. Days, months have now turned into a year it is easy to assume that all the talking, writing has been done, but I think for those who witnessed it, it has barely started.

It is probably worse for the brothers, sisters, wives, friends, survivors, witnesses who are struggling to move on. "It's taken too long…I would like to know the truth about what led to my brothers'(Victor Juma) death and the others,” said Philip Ochieng painfully.

At the time of his death, Juma was in his final year at the University of Nairobi where he was studying finance and sociology. The Government ordered preliminary investigations and a report was issued by the Kenya Police, a week after the incident.

The initial probe pointed at how gates remained closed even after the match kicked off shortly because of human traffic and long queues at entry points. The report just fell short of blaming the victims (fans) for what befell them.

This is what is perhaps the biggest barrier to healing-any acceptance of blame- by the host team Gor Mahia, the Kenya Premier League,KPL or even the Sports Stadia Management Board for the terrible misjudgments’ made for one of the biggest football ties in Kenya.

From the outright delay in responding to the stampede to lack of immediate medical assistance to the injured and dying raised serious questions.

"We are waiting to know the findings of the report, because already we have received claim for compensation from one of the victims but we don't take responsibility," stressed KPL Chief Executive Officer, Jack Oguda.

But for now what the victims want is a proper inquiry and report on what happened to avoid a repeat of the same in future.

"I was contacted by the police about two weeks ago that the Government intends to open an inquest into this matter. We are hoping that this inquest will provide answers that will lead to resolving the mystery around the deaths of the young people," Ochieng' stated firmly confirming what the families need is specific circumstances of the death of their relatives.

A safety and security audit of some of the country's stadia carried out by Security and stewarding services Provider Company G4S recommended major improvements on the stadium infrastructure as well as training of safety officers manning the stadium. But barely half the proposals have been implemented.

"We have tried to implement most of the things recommended on the report like no ticket sales at the venue of the match and again the tickets now bear gate numbers,” said Lilian Nzile the manager at the Nyayo National stadium.  

"We now have a control and safety officer and we always install a public Address system at the stadium."

The stakeholders are still looking to the Government to pump in funds to train stadia personnel and even improve the infrastructure as there are barely a handful trained personnel in the country manning the stadia.

But as we mourn the five fans who died on October 23, 2010, the stakeholders needs to ensure that the inquiry is comprehensive to avoid a repeat of the same as some of lapses that led to the stampede had already been investigated before.

The Government should put in place the right structures and infrastructures in the stadia to avoid similar sporting disasters.

Any answers no matter how long it takes need to come out and save the fans and victims the shame, guilt they have endured for attending a simple, relaxing football match…as their families campaign for answers lingers on…