Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Susan Nakhumicha on Wednesday, April 5, made five critical observations during her impromptu visit to Mukumu Girls' Secondary School.
Accompanied by Education Principal Secretary (PS) Belio Kipsang, Nakhumicha sought to establish the cause of the disease that broke out in the learning institution leading to the death of students.
The CS asked School Principal Fridah Ndolo to take her around the school's dining and sanitation facilities.
She questioned where and how the school sources its water and the mechanisms put in place to ensure it was fit for consumption.
"Where does the water come from? If all the water is stored in this tank, does it mean that if water from one source is contaminated, all of it is? How often is it cleaned?" Nakhumicha posed.
In response, Ndolo explained that the water was sourced from the county government and a nearby stream. She pointed out that the water undergoes treatment before it is used for cooking.
The school head revealed that the main tank is cleaned every three months. An official also backed her up by noting that the water sampled from the stream may at times be resistant to the chlorination process.
Kipsang, on the other hand, suggested that the Ministry of Water in partnership with the Ministry of Education drilled boreholes to ensure a constant supply of clean water.
The delegation was taken aback by the incomplete structure of the school kitchen which lacked a ceiling board. Nakhumicha inquired about the measures taken to prevent the contamination of food from falling debris.
In addition, she probed the drainage system of the kitchen and directed that the structure be completed as soon as possible. The CS was also appalled by the hygienic conditions of the coolers used to store beef.
"You should have taken time to even clean the fridge. You are the matron, the fridge does not look good. You need to make sure that it is kept well," she stated.
Furthermore, the delegation asked whether the cooks hired by schools were legally approved to handle the students' food.
"Where are the cooks? Let them come because we need to see their certificates," the Health boss demanded.
While visiting the dry goods store, Kipsang questioned the strong smell emanating from the maize, which the school staff explained was from the conservatives.
However, the delegation noticed that the bags of maize were stacked in no particular order and wondered how they identified which consignment was delivered to the school earlier than the rest.
The school's administration intimated that they milled their own flour. In response, the team asked whether there was a 'third eye' to check the process.
Nakhumicha's visit came after a disease outbreak claimed the lives of two students and led to the indefinite closure of the school. 25 of the over 200 students who showed signs of food poisoning are still hospitalised.
