The tragedy happened when a crowd stampeded at one of the entry gates at the National Stadium in the Kenyan capital at a match between Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards.

"Title-chasing Gor Mahia edged AFC Leopards 1-0 in Kenyan Premier League action on Saturday at the National Stadium, Nairobi, in a high-octane match during which a stampeding crowd at one of the entry gates caused the death of at least seven people and injury to many others," a report on the Kenyan Premier League website read.

"Heavy rains for a full two hours before the match had also caused consternation within the stadium as thousands of ticket holders for the roofless terraces relocated to shelter under an already full covered section that holds only 3,000 premium ticket holders.

"The match was barely halfway through the first half when an agitated spectator, in a unprecedented stunt, rushed into the field of play in an attempt to get the referee to stop the match because, he said, 'people are being crushed to death'.

"At that moment there was no sign of a commotion in the jam-packed stadium. It was then that information filtered in that pushing and jostling had occurred at the Nairobi West end entry gate and that bodies and injured people were being loaded onto stretchers and an ambulance.

"After a 10-minute interruption to the match, it resumed with the only indication of anything amiss being that it was happening outside."