Disease Ailing Eregi Girls High School Unravelled
The results for samples taken from Eregi Girls High School students in Kisumu are scheduled to be made public today.
Health and Education officials in the Western Region chose not to close the school despite an outbreak of a mysterious illness that affected 95 students by last night. They insisted that precautionary measures had been implemented to prevent further spread.
Despite this, some parents were allowed to take their children home due to unruly behavior by certain students, including the vandalism of government vehicles.
Jared Obiero, the Western Region Director of Education, mentioned that a few parents who wanted to take their daughters home were allowed to do so, leading to some disturbances at the school. However, for students whose parents did not come or did not want them to leave, classes would continue as usual for the remaining three weeks.
Kakamega County Director of Medical Services, Dr. Steven Wandei, emphasized the need to identify the cause of the infectious disease before allowing the remaining students to return home and potentially infect their families.
The number of students affected had risen to 95 by the previous night, with 33 new cases reported. On Monday night, 62 students were admitted to various hospitals in Kakamega County.
This situation follows a similar outbreak at Mukumu Girls High School in April, where three students and a teacher succumbed to the disease. The cause of these outbreaks in Western Region schools, including Mukumu Girls and Butere Boys, affecting hundreds of students, remains unknown.
Most of the affected students at Eregi Girls are in Form One, Two, and Three, with 48 cases in Form One, 39 in Form Two, 15 in Form Three, and 1 in Form Four.
Some students were kept in the school’s sickroom, monitored by school and county health officials. There were suspicions that some students may have feigned illness to avoid year-end exams.
The school exams for Form Three students proceeded as planned, although some protested, claiming they were not ready for the exams.
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Concerned parents who took their daughters home argued that the school’s overcrowding could facilitate the spread of any infectious disease.
Kakamega County Health Executive Member Dr. Bernard Wesonga explained that the affected pupils suffered knee pain and had difficulty standing or walking. Tests were being conducted to identify the cause, with samples sent to laboratories in Kisumu and Nairobi.
Preliminary tests indicated elevated electrolyte levels, which can be associated with various health conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, dehydration, or overhydration.
Parents who had gathered at the school demanded better communication and transparency from the school management regarding their children’s welfare. Regional Director of Education Jared Obiero instructed the school to improve communication with parents.
Disease Ailing Eregi Girls High School Unravelled
