Why I invaded football pitch carrying big stone, woman opens up

A woman who was pictured running across a stadium in Nairobi, Kenya, with a big stone, has revealed the reason behind her action.

In the incident that occurred on Sunday, February 13, her boyfriend identified as George Odinga was seriously injured during a brawl between football officials and some fans.

It was gathered that some fans attempted to jump over the fence during a match to avoid paying the entrance fee of Sh200, which caused major chaos in the stadium. Three people were reportedly injured during the fracas, including the lady’s lover.

The woman who has now been identified as Winnie Nyar Kasagam ran into the stadium wielding a large stone, and the moment which was photographed quickly went viral in Kenya.

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Speaking in an interview with The Standard on Wednesday, March 3, Winnie, a 29-year-old mother of three, explained that she wanted to take revenge for her boyfriend who was lying injured in the stadium.

“I was angry because he supports me financially – Woman pictured wielding big stone says she wanted to take revenge for her boyfriend injured during match

“I am a calm person. The Winnie you saw carrying a stone at the stadium wasn’t the Winnie that every other person knows. That day I was emotionally disturbed; my heart was aching. And you know when the heart aches, the mind and body responds,” Winnie said in an interview with Standard Group journalist Stephen Mukangai.

“My boyfriend had been assaulted. It angered me because my lover supports me financially, and is the bread-winner in our relationship.

“Initially, there were rumours that he’d been killed. I had just arrived at Kasarani Stadium, only to hear that (my boyfriend) Odinga had been seriously assaulted. When I entered the stadium, I found him lying on the ground unconscious.

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“That triggered intense anger in me. I, immediately, picked a stone to go look for the person who had assaulted my spouse.

“On reaching where the assailant was, I was shocked to discover it was a person who I know well. I was aware of my anger problems. So, I dropped the stone to avert an action that I risk regretting later.”

She added that her lover, whom she has been dating for one year, is currently in a stable condition but his treatment has cost them a lot of money.

Speaking on the viral pictures, Winnie, a vegetable vendor, said, “I felt embarrassed when the photos went viral. That’s not the reputation I would want to have. Many people forwarded the pictures to me on WhatsApp. But I’m glad I have gradually gotten over it.”