The latest fatalities were reported over the weekend three people in Nandi, and an inmate at the Kakamega GK Prison.
And now, the World Health Organisation has ranked Kenya among countries
facing an acute health crisis over increasing cases of cholera.
The outbreak has affected eight districts in Nyanza, Rift Valley and
North Eastern provinces. The latest outbreak has been confirmed in the
two border towns of Moyale in Kenya and Ethiopia.
On the Kenyan side, 63 cases were reported in the first week of March resulting in three deaths including two children.
The cholera outbreak in Nyanza province has spread to two new districts
and is now in five districts. A cholera outbreak has also been reported
in a refugee camp in Dadaab, where nine infections were reported in
February.
In February alone, 369 cases of cholera were reported in the country
resulting in 16 deaths. The deaths were reported in Rachuonyo (five),
Kisumu East (four), Homabay (three), and one each in Siaya, Kisumu
West, Nyando and Garissa. The largest number of cases, 166, has been
reported in Kisumu East.
Cholera is a water borne disease that is transmitted mainly through
drinking contaminated water and staying in unsanitary conditions.
Public heath officials spent a third day battling the outbreak at the Kakamega GK prison.
Given treatment
Eight prisoners complaining of diarrhoea and vomiting were receiving treatment at the Kakamega Provincial Hospital.
Wards used by the prisoners were sprayed with disinfectant and more than 1,200 inmates given treatment at the prison.
The provincial director of public health, Dr Simeon Kibias, said
samples taken from one of the prisoners for testing indicated he had
cholera.
Public health officials have closed down the municipal wholesale market and the fish market following the outbreak.
Officials have also banned the selling of food in the open.
Two provincial prison officers differed over the source of the outbreak at the Kakamega GK prison.
Western Prisons Commandant Amos Misik said the infected inmates were
among more than 40 that arrived from Kisumu's Kibos prison. Twenty nine
others were transferred to Bungoma prison, he said. But Nyanza Prisons
Commandant Richard Chege refuted the claims, saying Kibos prison had
not had any recent cases of cholera.
That is a Western province affair and they should deal with it as
such, said Mr Chege.I carried out inspection at Kibos on Sunday after
press reports, and there was no single case of cholera at the prison,
he added.
The two prison bosses could also not agree on whether prisoners were
transferred from Kibos to Kakamega, with Mr Chege and the deputy
officer in charge of Kibos, Mr Ben Olulo, denying the claims.
Mr Olulo, however, confirmed the transfer of prisoners to Naivasha prison in the past week.
I am aware of transfers to Naivasha maximum prison last week and that
is normal, to enable prisoners attend court proceedings. We also
received others from Naivasha prison at the same time, said Mr Olulo.
The government sent personnel from the public health department to
Kakamega prison.
Mr Misik confirmed that the government was vaccinating all the prisoners against cholera.
Medical personnel from the public health department vaccinated the
entire prison and they will be visiting the facility on a daily basis
until the disease is contained, he said.
The prison, with a capacity of 500 inmates now holds almost three times
this figure, increasing the risk of epidemics due to congestion.
In Nandi South District, two of the three patients died in Chemase
Location, Aldai Constituency, while the third person died in Mosombor
Location, Kaptumo Division.
The four deaths bring the number of those who have died of cholera in the district this month to seven, including two children.
Stories by Oliver Mathenge, Benson Amadala, Walter Menya, Mike Mwaniki and Tom Matoke
Daily Nation
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