CS pledges overhaul at Mukumu Girls

 The government has recommended a raft of measures to correct compromised hygiene and sanitation conditions at the Sacred Heart Mukumu Girls High School that left two students dead, hundreds hospitalised and the school closed indefinitely.

Cabinet Secretary for Health Services Susan Nakhumicha said a multi-agency team had been tasked to oversee the overhaul of the school’s water infrastructure, kitchen, dining, grain stores and expand the boarding section to avert recurrence of water borne diseases.

She said that even though government was still carrying out laboratory investigation through organs such as the Government Chemist and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri), the team will address obvious water contamination at the school in Kakamega county.

Two students from the school died early this week of gastro enteritis disease, a condition resulting from water contamination. A total of 108 girls had been taken ill with 64 being treated and discharged.

Some 40 were admitted to hospital with 26 yet to be discharged, including one who is currently admitted at the High Dependency Unit (HDU) at the Kakamega General Hospital.

Addressing the media after an extensive inspection of the school, Nakhumicha said preliminary patients’ samples showed all the cases suffered gastro enteritis.

“The girls tested positive for thyrotoxic eschetrichia coli (Ecoli), amoebiasis and salmonella typhi,” The CS revealed, pointing out that the ministry was waiting for results from the Government Chemist for grains taken from the school store.

Last weekend, Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale claimed grain contamination was the likely cause of the deaths and sickness at the school.

He said Nova, a poisonous organo-phosphate pesticide used in maize preservation was synonymous with symptoms exhibited by the girls.

The Kakamega County Education Executive Godfrey Owori said yesterday that the public health officers had taken samples from the food stores and water sources for analysis.

People Daily established that the experts had recommended that all the foodstuffs in the store at the school be destroyed.

The school’s Principal Fridah Ndolo has declined to reveal suppliers behind the toxic maize which is said to have caused the illness that saw over 250 students affected.

Compulsory leave

There were claims that the cereals were supplied by members of the school management. Ndolo has, instead, blamed media for the crisis.

Khalwale insisted that the Mukumu school management be overhauled.

Reports indicated that the institution’s bursar and store-keeper had been sent on compulsory leave after they failed to reveal suppliers of the food.

Massive cleanliness was underway at Mukumu Girls when People Daily visited the institution yesterday. Owori said water sources would also be thoroughly cleaned.

“We want to get to the bottom of these problems so that they never recur. We have given the experts time to assess the situation and give us their reports,” said Owori.

Mukumu Girls was closed on Monday while the students of Butere Boys High School in the same county were sent home on Tuesday after an outbreak of diseases.

The affected students suffered from vomiting, stomach pains, dizziness and diarrhoea.

Over 100 students of Butere Boys are still admitted to various hospitals in the constituency while over 50 from Mukumu Girls are still battling for their lives at Kakamega Referral and St. Elizabeth Mukumu Mission hospitals.

Butere Boys’ Principal Henry Okusi said yesterday that they resolved to close the institution to avert a crisis.

“We advised all our parents to take their sons to hospitals for medical check-ups. We are, meanwhile, monitoring the situation and waiting for the experts’ report before we decide our next course of action. We shall only recall the boys once we are sure that the institution is safe,” he told the People Daily.

Owori said the county government would ensure that water in the two institutions and others in the county was safe.

“These incidents have taught us a big lesson and we shall inspect all sources of water in public schools in the entire county,” he said.