NIS and Ministry of Health to Answer for Mukumu Girls Tragedy
On April 20th, Narok senator Ledama Ole Kina urged the Senate to investigate the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Ministry of Health regarding the mysterious disease that had affected students and teachers at Mukumu Girls High School.
The school is located in Kakamega County, where three students and one teacher had passed away due to a bacterial infection that was caused by contaminated water.
Senator Kina noted that the level of toxicity in water in Kakamega County should be a cause for concern. He suggested that the NIS could have vital intelligence on the contamination of water sources in the country that could help expedite investigations.
The senator, who is a member of the Health Committee, expressed hope that the Senate would investigate whether the Ministry of Health and NIS had details of the metals that existed underneath the ground, which could have contributed to the water contamination in the county.
Senator Kina also drew attention to discolored teeth among residents in several counties, which he attributed to water contamination caused by the increased use of pesticides in farming. He urged investments in water systems to prevent such incidents from happening in schools.
Additionally, the senator questioned why the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) did not provide dental cover despite the rising cases of discolored teeth.
Mukumu Girls High School, along with three other schools in the country, were closed after over 100 students were hospitalized due to the bacterial infection caused by contaminated water. The Ministry of Health conducted preliminary investigations and identified Enterotoxigenic E. coli and Salmonella typhi as the causes of the illness.
The Ministry advised schools and residents to practice proper hygiene when using water, such as boiling water before drinking and washing hands with running water.
NIS and Ministry of Health to Answer for Mukumu Girls Tragedy