Mother Of Woman Who Died During Stampede At Asake Concert Issues Demand
The stampede occurred after hundreds of people without tickets reportedly stormed the venue during the concert headlined by Afrobeats sensation Asake.
Vantage Ke Writer 
The mother of Karen Lojore, a woman who was confirmed to have died during a stampede on Saturday, December 20, where the high-profile "Asake & Gabzy Live in Nairobi" concert at Nyayo Stadium was held, is demanding justice for her daughter.
The stampede occurred after hundreds of people without tickets reportedly stormed the venue during the concert headlined by Afrobeats sensation Asake. Witnesses stated that the chaos erupted after security was overrun, enabling non-ticket holders to enter the stadium freely, with some allegedly spilling into the VIP area.
The confirmed fatality from the chaotic scenes was identified as Lojore, described as being in her mid-20s. She was allegedly trampled and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. Her body was taken to the City Mortuary.
Collage of Asake and crowds at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya on December 20, 2025. /VIRAL TEA KE
According to friends of the deceased, Karen had a valid ticket and sustained fatal injuries while trying to get into the venue as the situation spiralled out of control.
Her grieving mother shared a photo of Karen in a viral Instagram post on Sunday, December 21, pouring out her anguish and demanding that those responsible, including the organisers, should be held to account.
“Karen, why? What happened? You had that damn ticket. What happened to my child? Why her, why? I want justice for my child. Please bring back my child,” she wrote.
Although the event organizers have yet to issue an official statement confirming the death or the disorder, concertgoers criticized the event as poorly organized, leaving several attendees who had even paid for VIP access frustrated and disappointed.
Attendees also pointed to long delays in ticket processing at the entrance, which stretched for hours, creating a restless crowd and contributing to chaos in the VIP area.
Citizen TV journalist Immanuel Ndungu also gave his account of the events leading to the stampede, which was not a sudden accident, but the direct result of a predictable and preventable chain of failures in crowd management.
The situation had intensified as huge crowds formed at the main entrance. Security had set up two lines—one for men and a slightly longer one for women—but the narrow entry and inadequate crowd control quickly led to problems.
Entry was temporarily stopped for about 30 minutes, which heightened tensions as more people continued to arrive. Police reportedly intervened to restore order, allegedly using force, which worsened the chaos.
Attempts by stewards to let small groups of around 10 people in at a time only fueled more pushing as the crowd struggled to get through.
Neither the police nor the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has released an official statement regarding the incident. Lojore's death has since shocked the nation, triggering public outrage and reigniting discussions on crowd management and safety at large entertainment events.
Even before the incident, there was already a red flag raised for attendees after popular music collective Kodong Klan withdrew from the concert, merely hours before showtime.
Past Asake Concert Stampede
The Nairobi incident echoes a comparable tragedy at an Asake concert in December 2022 at London’s O2 Academy in Brixton.
On that night, what was meant to be one of three sold-out shows by the Nigerian Afrobeats star turned deadly after massive crowds, including many without tickets, overran the venue’s entrances. Fans later recounted scenes of panic and confusion as crowds pressed against the venue’s narrow entrances.
The Guardian reported that many people gained access without proper ticket checks, leaving genuine ticket holders stuck outside in dangerously overcrowded conditions. One attendee described a sudden surge that left people “suffocated” and “hemmed in,” with minimal visible security.
As the chaos escalated, police were called, and the concert was stopped shortly after starting. A member of Asake’s team reportedly informed the crowd that thousands had “breached” the doors, leading to the show’s cancellation for safety reasons.
The Brixton tragedy resulted in the deaths of Rebecca Ikumelo, a 33-year-old mother of two, and Gaby Hutchinson, a 23-year-old security guard, while another woman suffered critical injuries.
