By Job Weru

Nearly 820,000 residents of Central Province suffer from jigger infestation, an NGO has claimed

But public health officials denied the claims and said the organisation was using the media to spread falsehood over the extent of the problem.

However, Ahadi Kenya Executive Director Stanley Kamau demanded an apology over the claims.

"We want the official and the ministry to apologise to the media and Ahadi over the remarks, otherwise we would move to court," he said.

Speaking in Kamuiru, Murang’a South District, during a ceremony to award 50 public health officers, provincial Public Health Officer George Ngatiri accused the organisation of using images of jigger-infested persons to solicit funds. He claimed Ahadi Kenya receives Sh10 million funding.

But Kamau refuted the claims and said: "We do not use any media house to solicit funds for the anti-jigger initiative. And again, we have not received any donation of such magnitude from anyone."

He said Central Province was greatly affected by the jiggers menace, with close to one million people affected. Other areas include Coast, Western and Nyanza provinces.