The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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Over 70 individuals from Kabianga and Masaita villages in Londiani East Constituency were hospitalized at Londiani Sub-County Hospital after consuming contaminated mursik at a church graduation event.
Mursik, a traditional fermented milk drink, is an important part of the Kalenjin culture in Kenya. It is typically made from cow or goat milk and fermented in a calabash gourd called sotet.
The affected people, including 12 children, experienced severe vomiting and diarrhoea after drinking the mursik.
Wesley Korir, director of the Kericho School of Preaching where the ceremony took place, explained that they had bought the milk from a vendor on Friday before the event, expecting more than 20 attendees.
The milk vendor disappeared after learning that the police were seeking her for questioning.
“We went to the village looking for fermented milk, and luckily, we found it just before the event,” said Mr. Korir.
However, hours later, many attendees began suffering from stomachaches, vomiting, and diarrhoea.
Medical staff at Londiani Sub-County Hospital had a busy day treating the victims on Friday. Among those admitted were 12 children, including three from the same family, who were immediately put on intravenous fluids to stabilize their condition.
Doctors reported that the victims’ conditions were slowly improving as they received treatment.
One victim, Paul Korir, shared that he began vomiting and having diarrhoea shortly after drinking the milk and sought medical help. He expressed surprise at the poor quality of the milk, as the vendor had been in business for a long time.
Betty Kirui, a mother of six, said that two of her children were severely affected and had to be admitted. She thanked God that her other four children were in school and avoided falling ill.
“My husband and I were unlucky. I thought the milk was safe, but now I’m too weak to even walk and am worried about my children’s health,” Ms. Kirui said.
Nurse Morine Chepkoech, who treated the victims at the hospital, noted that children were the most severely affected, with some showing signs of extreme dehydration.
She urged the public to be cautious when consuming food and drinks at public events, as this was not the first such incident in the area.
Local police and health authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
