148 students of Ikonge Girls Secondary School in Nyamira County were on Wednesday, July 19 admitted to the hospital.
According to reports, the students experienced severe stomach pain with officials suspecting that the learners may have consumed contaminated water.
The students are currently receiving treatment at Ekerengo hospital with medics working round the clock to stabilize them.
Nyamira North Sub- County Director of Education Claire Oyula visited the students and wished them quick recovery ahead of investigations into the matter.
By the time of publishing this article, neither Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machongu nor her Health counterpart Susan Nakhumicha Wafula had addressed the incident.
The incident at Ikonge Girls’ secondary school came a few months a mysterious disease outbreak in several institutions that claimed the lives of students and a teacher.
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In May 2023, Mukumu tens of students from Sacred Heart Mukumu Girls’ in Kakamega County were hospitalized after a disease outbreak.
The students complained of various symptoms including fatigue and abdominal pain before the management admitted them at the St. Elizabeth Mukumu Mission Hospital.
Following the incident, the government closed the institution for three weeks. Unfortunately, the mysterious illness claimed the three students and one teacher, who was in charge of boarding.
A post-mortem established that the deaths were as a result of food poisoning and water contamination.
Education CS Ezekiel Machongu ordered for destruction of foodstuff in the school’s store to avert another crisis.
Additionally, the Ministry of Water agreed to supply the institution with clean water for the Tindinyo Water Treatment Plant.
The Ministry of Education also closed Butere Boys in April this year after suspected food and water poisoning.
At least one hundred students presented cholera-like symptoms including vomiting, and diarrhea.
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Health CS Susan Nakhumicha Wafula, dismissed claims of cholera outbreak in both schools.
The CS noted that tests by Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) confirmed the presence of a bacterial infection that causes diarrhoea and vomiting.
“We have taken more samples of food and water to the Government Chemist in Kisumu and to the National Public Health laboratories in Nairobi for further investigation,” she said.
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