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Over 50 students of Eregi Girls High School in Ikolomani Constituency, Kakamega County were yesterday rushed to various hospitals after being struck with an unidentified illness.

The affected students complained of dizziness, headache and stomach upset. They were also incoherent in their speech with a number unable to walk properly.

A number of the girls wailed uncontrollably while being driven to Iguhu, Shibwe, Mukumu and Kakamega Referral Hospitals.

The institution’s sickbay was also full of other students, many of who had been placed on drip, when the People Daily arrived at around noon.

Several were in a trance similar to hysteria while others were in very bad conditions and unconscious. And a section of parents took to the streets accusing the school administration of inaction.

They said the institution had never contacted them and that they learnt about the situation from their own children and on social media.

“The school has never informed us officially that our daughters were unwell and instead packed them in the sick-bay from where they continued to suffer due to lack of quality medical attention,” the parents said.

Reports of illness

They said they had been inquiring since weekend when they received reports of illness at the institution but that the management kept downplaying the situation.

The chanting parents left the school all the way to Kakamega town about 25km away where they camped at the County Education offices seeking audience with the bosses who had, however, not showed up by the time of going to the press.

The Director of Medical Services in Ikolomani Michael Watamba said they had not yet ascertained the actual illness by yesterday.

“We conducted tests on several of the girls but could not conclusively ascertain what they were suffering from. We are still examining them and are stabilizing their conditions,” he added.

Dr Watamba confirmed that the students complained of abdominal pains, headache, dizziness and were stressed and hysterical. The school management remained mum and were holed up in a closed-door meeting for the whole day only promising to issue a statement afterwards.