60 students hospitalized in suspected case of food poisoning

Sixty students from Kalyet Secondary School in Kericho County were rushed to Londiani Sub-County Hospital on Monday morning after they complained of abdominal pain.

The students fell ill after eating a maize and beans meal, commonly known as Githeri.

The meal was served during lunch on Sunday, and the students, aged between 13 and 18 years, began to complain of stomach pain hours later.

Londiani Sub-County Hospital Medical Superintendent, Dr Collins Kipkoech, confirmed that 46 girls and 14 boys were admitted with symptoms, including abdominal pain and, in some cases, diarrhoea.

"The students are in stable condition after receiving treatment," he said.

Dr Kipkoech added that to determine the cause of the suspected food poisoning, a team of public health officers has been dispatched to the school to collect food samples for laboratory analysis.

"Tests will be conducted to establish the exact cause of the illness," he said.

However, Kipkoech noted that the hospital faced challenges accommodating the students due to space limitations.

"Our outpatient department is severely over utilised, especially during mass medical incidents," he said.

This is not the first time Londiani Sub-County Hospital has dealt with a mass poisoning case. Recently, 163 people were admitted after consuming contaminated sour milk in a separate incident.