Kenya: Anxiety in Naivasha as cholera cases hit 16

Medics and Red Cross officials wheel in a ‘patient’ during a drill on cholera outbreak conducted at Naivasha sub-county referral hospital in Naivasha. The drill that caught many unawares was meant to check the preparedness of the facility to deal with the disease which has been reported in Nairobi, Homabay and Bomet. (PHOTO: ANTHONY GITONGA)

The number of confirmed cholera cases in Naivasha has hit 16 after two minors were confirmed to have contracted the disease. One of the minors is from the largest primary school in the town.

The news raised anxiety at the school as public health officers moved in to contain the outbreak. The two minors are relatives, and were admitted at Naivasha Sub-County Referral Hospital where doctors said they were responding well to medication.

Naivasha sub-county Medical Officer of Health Oren Ombiro said one of the cases emanated from Kihoto estate, which has been hard-hit by the outbreak. He said the 12-year old boy is a pupil of Naivasha DEB Primary School, which hosts over 1,000 pupils.

"We have gone to the school and disinfected the classes and latrines and also supplied the management with water treatment tablets," he said.