Kisii County Senator Richard Onyonka has penned a demand letter seeking government intervention following the outbreak of a mysterious illness in the county.
In a press statement released on Tuesday, March 4, Onyonka acknowledged the Ministry of Health's prompt launch of investigations into the matter but also issued five demands to the ministry to mitigate the spread.
"I am deeply concerned about the outbreak of a mysterious illness that has affected residents in South Mugirango, Kisii County. Reports indicate that over 200 people from Nyabigege, Nyamarondo, and Nyarigiro villages have fallen ill, experiencing severe diarrhoea with bloody stools, high fever, and intense headaches over the past two weeks," part of the statement read.
"Even as Health authorities, including the Ministry of Health and county officials, have launched investigations to determine the cause of this outbreak and Preliminary assessments suggest that the illness may be waterborne, potentially linked to contaminated water sources used by the affected villages and Samples collected and are currently being analyzed, I am calling for the following immediate actions."
At the top of Onyonka's list was the expedited testing and analysis of collected samples to quickly identify the infection and commence the relevant interventions.
He also called for an emergency medical response, urging the Ministry of Health and the Kisii County government to deploy additional medical personnel and provide the necessary supplies to treat those affected.
Thirdly, he emphasised the need for public health awareness, urging county residents to be mindful of what they consume and to take precautions such as boiling all drinking and cooking water to minimise the risk of infection. "I also urge community health workers to step up sensitisation efforts on hygiene and sanitation," he added.
For his fourth demand, he noted that he would be engaging both county and national governments to ensure the provision of clean and safe drinking water, having observed an urgent need for improved water infrastructure in South Mugirango.
Lastly, Onyonka demanded that the government keep the public informed on the progress of investigations to maintain transparency in handling the crisis.
"I want to assure the people of South Mugirango and Kisii County that my office will continue to push for swift and effective action to safeguard the health and well-being of our community. Speedy recovery to all those affected," he concluded.
These demands come just a day after the government confirmed that a mysterious illness was affecting residents of Kisii County and that the Ministry of Health had dispatched health officials to the region to respond to the situation.
“Health is a devolved function, but when something like this happens, we always send our officers from the national government, especially those from the surveillance department, to ensure that we conduct comprehensive surveillance and determine the cause of the disease,” Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni said on Monday.
On Monday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) also announced that they had personnel on the ground at South Mugirango to assess the situation and determine the cause of the outbreak.
"WHO is on the ground in South Mugirango, Kisii County, working to identify the cause of an unknown disease outbreak. Key efforts include: assessing lab capacity, supporting lab officers to identify the disease, and enhancing coordination and capacity for outbreak response. Investigations are ongoing," part of the statement by WHO read.
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