Two die, over 200 hospitalised after eating contaminated food in Sotik

Sotik MP Joyce Laboso when she visited the food poisoning victims at Kaplong Mission Hospital. (Photo: Gilbert Kimutai/Standard)

Two children aged 6 and 10 years died early Sunday while receiving treatment at Kaplong Mission Hospital after consuming stale food during pass out of initiates in Sotik, Bomet County.

More than 200 people were taken ill following the incident which has left a whole village deserted as the victims fight for their lives at various health centers in the county.

Bomet County Medical Services Chief Officer Bernard Sowek said the two succumbed to dehydration while receiving treatment.

Residents of Kamureito told The Standard of the harrowing experience when the first patients began complaining of stomachache.

Anthony Koskei, a village elder who was among those attending the ceremony, said people were panicking as they made frantic calls for ambulances to take their loved ones to hospital.

"It was a bad experience, some families had everyone taken ill and they were lost on what to do and we took it upon ourselves to raise alarm and direct the disaster team at the county to move in with the help of ambulances from Tenwek Mission Hospital, Kaplong Mission Hospital and Longisa Hospital where five ambulance were deployed to ferry people to hospital," said Koskei.

He added; "It was horrific as children were crying in pain as they vomited and having diarrhea and some parents were also facing the same predicament.”

Koskei told of how he almost gave up after his two children fell ill alongside his brother's kids.

“My two children and those of my brother were among them and some of my neighbors were also reaching out to me for help,” said the village elder.

He said preliminary investigation shows that one of the sufurias had contaminated food that caused food poison on people who ate the food.

He said most of those affected were children who were served first.

"Hospitals where our people were taken to have mostly children and young people who were served first and those who ate last did not experience any problem," said Kiprono Langat a resident who is receiving treatment at Kaplong Mission Hospital.

Benard Misoi, another resident whose two children are admitted to Longisa Hospital, said they started complaining of stomachache on Saturday afternoon and soon they started vomiting before beginning to diarrhea.

"I arrived home from work to find that my two kids were have serious stomachache and the reason was the food they ate at a neighbor's house where a pass out of initiates was taking places," said the father of three.

He said the situation of his two kids deteriorated forcing him to rush them to hospital.

Misoi said on reaching the hospital he was shocked to meet other neighbors from his village who had the same problem.

A team of disaster management officers from the county government have been deployed to comb the village for any more victims.

Stanley Mutai, a disaster management officer with the county government, said the number of victims could rise if the number of people who had attended the ceremony is to go by.

"Some of the people who attended the ceremony are yet to come out due to fear and we are now combing the village to ensure that those who fear seeking medication are reached," said Mutai.

OCPD Jonathan Ngala said police have been deployed to the village to collect samples of the food that was taken by the victims for laboratory test.

Sotik MP Joyce Laboso visited the victims at Longisa County Referral Hospital and Kaplong and asked locals to take caution and observe hygiene when preparing food for consumption during ceremonies.