Eregi Girls closed as tests fail to reveal cause of health crisis

Theresa’s Eregi Girls High School in Ikolomani, Kakamega county, was yesterday closed temporarily following an outbreak of a mysterious illness.

This came even as Education and Health Cabinet secretaries Ezekiel Machogu and Susan Nakhumicha, respectively yesterday said a team had been dispatched to the school to carry out investigations.

Nakhumicha said that as of Tuesday, 95 students had been hospitalised.

In the interim, she said five tests were done and there were no bacterial pathogens that can be conclusively said to be causing the problem. Several other samples had been sent to the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri), she said.

“We had a total of 95 students hospitalised as of Tuesday evening. This morning I have not received any but when we received the report from the county government, we immediately dispatched a team… as soon as we get information, we will share but I would like to call upon the public to remain calm as we handle the situation,” Nakhumicha said in Nairobi.

Unravel mystery

She said the Director of Public Health was leading a seven-member team to investigate the situation. The team is expected to give a comprehensive report.

Western Regional Director of Education Jared Obiero explained that the decision to close the school was important to allow health experts to conduct comprehensive investigations.

He said the move would also protect the learners.

“We have resolved to temporarily send the students home as our experts work round the clock to unravel this mystery. This is also for the good of the students,” he added.

Speaking to the press at the institution after a closed-door meeting with the Board of Management, Obiero said initial investigations had not yielded any results.

The affected students, some of whom are complaining of dizziness, headache and stomach upsets, are still hospitalised.

Some are also incoherent with a number of them having difficulties walking.

Some parents complained that the institution had not contacted them and that they learnt about the situation from the children and on social media.

“The school 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.

They said they had been inquiring about the situation since last weekend when they received reports of illnesses at the institution, but the management kept downplaying the situation.

“We have been camping here, some from yesterday (Tuesday) and others at dawn, and the management declined to talk to us or even let us in. They only emerged at around 10 am to tell us that the school had been shut down and that we pick our children,” they said.

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

“We have continued to conduct tests on the girls since Tuesday but could still not conclusively ascertain what they are suffering from. We are still examining them and are stabilizing their condition,” he added.

The Kakamega County Education Executive Bonface Okoth said samples had been sent to the Kenya Medical Research Institute for analysis.

“Our public health officers are also examining the water sources at the school as we try to unravel the cause of this mysterious disease,” he added.

Obiero said the institution would be reopened in phases from Monday to Thursday.