Change of fortunes as sweet harvest turns suddenly sour

By Daniel Nzia

Preliminary tests reveal that slightly over 60 per cent of the maize tested in the larger Makueni District is infected with the poisonous aflatoxin.

Farmers are particularly worried following reports one person had tested positive for aflatoxin food poisoning in Athi location in Kibwezi District.

Makueni district Drought Monitoring officer Daniel Mbuvi confirmed the reports and added that the necessary measures were being applied to deal with the emerging problem.

Mbuvi, however, said no deaths have been reported so far, adding all the stakeholders are on high alert to deal with the problem.

He said his department has sponsored a surveillance team comprising personnel from Public Health and Sanitation ministry to deal with the crisis.

"It is through surveillance that the presence of aflatoxin in the grains farmers harvested this year was detected," Mbuvi told The Standard.

He said the team is testing maize at household levels and NCPB stores to ascertain the extent of infection.

Disturbing Verdict

Mbuvi said the tested samples since been sent to Nairobi for further analysis but results were yet to be released.

"It is disturbing to note that the 20 samples taken from farmers in the lower parts of Kathonzweni district contained high toxic contamination," Mbuvi lamented.

Mbuvi said about 62 percent of the 160 maize samples taken randomly from households, NCPB stores and schools in Kathonzweni, Kilungu and Makueni district were contaminated with aflatoxin.

The Standard established most of the affected maize was detected at the local NCPB stores in the area.

"Farmers hurried to sell the maize crop before it dried to the required standards, exposing it to aflatoxin infection," Mbuvi explained.

Addressing wananchi in his Kaiti constituency, Agriculture Assistant Minister Gideon Ndambuki confirmed aflatoxin had been detected in Eastern Province and others parts of the country.

Ndambuki said the Government would buy the contaminated maize and replace it with safe stocks to avert deaths.

"The Government does not want to hear of people dying from the toxic maize," he said, adding that Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation officials were inspecting the harvested maize to ensure its safety.

He said the Government would soon issue guidelines on the matter with a view to guaranteeing a transparent operation.

Ndambuki regretted that Eastern Province did not have maize drying facilities, making it difficult to get the right moisture contents.

Mbooni MP Mutula Kilonzo, and where several people succumbed to the aflatoxin in the past, called for a quick intervention to avert deaths.

"We cannot afford to continue loosing our people to this killer disease when it can be handled at early stages", he added.

　

Serious Situation

The Makueni District Medical Officer of Health Dr Catherine Kilonzo says the situation is serious, explaining that ongoing household survey revealed high contents of aflatoxin.

The official said there was need for the ministries of Agriculture, Public Health and Sanitation and others stakeholders to partner in giving farmers the right information on how to handle their crop.

"The ministry of health has a primary duty to stress to farmers that consumption of poorly dried maize will lead to aflatoxin infection," she said.

Mwala District Agricultural Officer J.M.Kariuki said his office confirmed that samples of the harvested maize had been collected from farmers and forwarded to Nairobi for testing but the results were yet to be released.

"The loss of our brothers and sisters through the disease since is still fresh in our minds and we are really worried," said farmer Kioko Mutiso from Kathonzweni district, alluding to the 2004 incident in which 100 people were killed in the region.

Mbooni East DC Fred Shisia urged farmers to report to his office if they came across grains suspected to be contaminated.