It was a sad scene after mourners in Bomet clashed during the burial of three-year-old Ruth Diana Chepng’eno who died at Longisa Hospital after being stung by a swarm of bees.
Supporters affiliated to different politicians clashed as the funeral ceremony was underway turning the ceremony into a mayhem of chaos.
A video clip obtained by Kenyans.co.ke depicts a noisy crowd shouting causing mayhem while stones and chairs were being hurled into the air.
One faction opposed to Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok faulted their governor for incompetence and mismanagement of Longisa Hospital which they claimed resulted in the death of the three-year-old girl.
Despite the hospital being one of the flashiest projects in Bomet, the mourners faulted the government for the death. They further called for the County Executive of Health to be sent home immediately poking holes at the recent reshuffles as mere shows.
“The issue of Chepng’eno is a very sad story because we saw the issues that were happening there. Some people were making fun while the child died a painful death. It's something that made some of us feel so bad,” one mourner lamented.
“We are going to follow it, we want to see this hospital managed in the right way there have been a lot of problems in this hospital. We have no issues with the county but, what we want to know is that the institutions run and managed by the county are run in an efficient manner,” the mourner added.
The incident occurred after Ruth and three other children were stung by bees while playing in their home village of Koitabai. Following the bee stings, they were rushed to Longisa Hospital for treatment.
Upon arrival, Ruth and the other children received initial medical attention which included an injection.
However, reports indicate that Ruth was left unattended for over five hours despite showing signs of distress and worsening conditions such as facial swelling and visible discomfort eliciting uproar from a section of the residents.
Earlier, on November 12, Bomet Deputy Speaker blamed the negligence of the hospital for the death of a bee sting victim at Longisa Hospital. Similarly, Bomet Senator Hillary Sigei called out the county Government of Bomet for negligence which caused the untimely death of the three-year-old.
According to her aunt, Joan Cherotich, the family requested a transfer to Tenwek Hospital for specialized care but faced delays in being released from Longisa.
By the time they managed to transport Ruth to Tenwek Hospital early on Sunday morning, her condition had deteriorated significantly. She was reportedly vomiting blood and was pronounced dead upon arrival.
