Freedom city stampede victims to relive ordeal as investigations escalate

Following the arrest of event organiser Abbey Musinguzi, Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga has said more people are going to be summoned to record statements on the incident.

“We have now summoned for questioning; the proprietor of the venue, the managers, other organizers of the event, the masters of ceremony, ushers, bouncers and private security guards who were dedicated to the event,” Enanga said.

The investigations will wind down with statements of first-person recounts of the events in the grips of the surge.

“Also summoned are police officers and other security personnel who were deployed to secure the event. At a later stage, we shall listen to the parents to some of the children to establish how they separated from them and got trapped in the passageway and gates.”

Preliminary reports indicate that four out of the five entry and exit points of the mall were closed some time in the night. The reports allege that the organiser closed them to avoid gate-crashers and to maximise profits.

“When the MC made an announcement for revelers to go out and watch the fireworks display, they had to use one point of entry and exit. Therefore, several victims were trapped and tramped upon through the narrow passage which became a bottleneck for many, mostly juveniles,” Enanga said.

Investigations will henceforth seek to establish the people behind the closure of the four passages and why revelers would be asked to vacate the venue under such conditions.

They will also seek to establish the lines of communication and coordination between police officers at the concert and event organisers on public events guidelines.

The incident has sent a wake up call to police who have said that a list of comprehensive guidelines on planning and events management will be released soon to prevent such tragic incidents from happening again.