3 Ugandans die of carbon monoxide poisoning in slum

Three Ugandans have died of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in Mukuru slum.

Police say the two women and a man could have died after inhaling the noxious gas from a jiko that was in their house.

Witnesses and police said the deceased are Ugandan nationals and had been living in the house for months.

Makadara OCPD Nehemiah Langat said they found a boiling mixture of beans and maize, popularly known as githeri on the jiko.

“We suspect they died after inhaling carbon monoxide from the jiko. They had no physical injuries at the time the bodies were discovered,” said Mr Langat.

He, however, said that only a post-mortem examination would tell conclusively what exactly killed the three.

Langat said they were informed of the incident long after it had happened. The officer said such incidents have been common in the area and urged residents to avoid keeping burning jikos in their houses.

Last Sunday, Mammy Rugina, sister to gospel musician Angela Chibalonza was found dead in a bathroom in Embakasi also after inhaling carbon monoxide.

Police said she had tried to use a burning jiko to boil a concoction of herbal medicine to treat her flu when she died.

Following rising cases of carbon monoxide poisoining, the Chairman of the Kenya Medical Association, Elly Nyaim, yesterday advised members of the public to ensure their rooms are well-ventilated before lighting jikos indoors.

“If you light a jiko, make sure you open the windows so that the air can circulate. Carbon monoxide poisoning often requires immediate hospital admission and may be even to the high-dependency unit.

“If a person is found to have inhaled carbon monoxide and is not dead, administering oxygen as soon as possible could save them,” he said.