Three cholera cases confirmed in Naivasha

Anxiety has gripped residents of Naivasha after three cases of cholera were confirmed from one of the informal estates.

Three minors from the same family are admitted in Naivasha sub-county hospital after they were wheeled in from Kihoto estate complaining of stomach upsets and diarrhea.

This came as medics raised their concern that the numbers could rise due to the ongoing heavy rains which have been flooding latrines in some estates on daily basis.

The cases incidentally come from the estate that has been adversely affected by the rains with the shallow latrines and nearby wells been flooded.

For years, the estate that it home to hundreds of flower farm workers has recorded cholera cases with the shallow wells blamed for the outbreak.

According to the superintendent in charge of the hospital, Dr Angeline Ithondeka the minors were brought in by their mother in serious but stable condition.

The medic said that tests conducted on the minors had turned out positive adding that the trio had been placed under medication in an isolation ward.

“These are the first cases of cholera we have recorded this year and we are on high alert as the ongoing rains could spread the disease further,” said the medic.

Naivasha sub-county commissioner Isaac Masinde confirmed the cases adding that the sub-county cholera response team had been activated.

He said that the team had visited the affected estate and issued water treatment tablets to residents, disinfected the affected homes and embarked on public campaign.

“We have three minors who are undergoing treatment in the sub-county hospital and their condition is stable and the situation is under control,” he said.

Masinde was quick to point to the issue of water in Kihoto and Karagita estates as the major challenge and cause of the outbreak every year.

“Residents of the two estates rely on water from shallow wells which are next to latrines and this has contributed to the outbreak,” he said.

This came as traders in the lakeside town challenged the country government to urgently address the issue of drainage.

According to one of them Antony Rebo, some parts of the town could not be accessed whenever it rained adding that the issue of storm water had been ignored for years.

“The slightest rain in Naivasha leads to flooding and we are worried that with the heavy rains things could get worse in the coming days,” he said.