Kakamega County Spends Ksh800,000 on Burning Mukumu Girls’ Contaminated Food in Mombasa
On May 3, the Kakamega County Government in Kenya announced that it had chosen to transport contaminated cereals from Mukumu Girls High School to be incinerated in Mombasa, spending Ksh800,000 on the exercise.
The decision has been defended by a multi-agency team, who stated that this was the most affordable alternative. The cereals will be transported to Bamburi Cement Company in Mombasa, which volunteered its industrial incinerator for the process.
The county government noted that the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) in Kisumu was also an option but ruled it out due to its limited capacity to burn only one tonne of cereals a day.
“The incinerator at Kisumu can only burn one tonne a day meaning that it would have taken 73 days to finish the exercise,” the county defended its decision to opt for Mombasa.
With 73 tonnes of cereals needing to be destroyed, the exercise would have taken 73 days to complete, making the Bamburi Cement Company option the quicker alternative.
Mukumu Girls High School
Governor Fernandes Barasa explained that the food needs to be destroyed professionally, and in compliance with the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) procedures, for accountability purposes.
The cereals, packed in 800 bags, were accompanied by teachers, parents, and representatives from the county government, as well as armed security officers.
The contaminated cereals were responsible for a bacterial illness that caused the deaths of three students and a senior teacher who also served as the boarding mistress.
Following the outbreak, the Ministry of Health closed the school as at least 246 students were hospitalised with vomiting, diarrhoea, and dizziness. The students are expected to return to school on May 8.
While the decision to transport the cereals to Mombasa has been defended by the county government, it has also raised eyebrows, given the significant expenditure involved.
It is unclear whether there were more affordable options available, and the decision to transport the cereals such a long distance has been questioned.
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Kakamega County Spends Ksh800,000 on Burning Mukumu Girls’ Contaminated Food in Mombasa
