Mysterious disease strike at girls school in Kenya as students struggle to walk
A girls only secondary school in Kenya, St Theresa’s Eregi Girls’ High School has been shut down by the Ministry of Education after a number of students were hospitalised over a mysterious illness.
This even as it emerged that Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu is due to visit the institution in the next ‘couple of hours’.
Education officials in Kakamega County decided to temporarily close the school on Wednesday after students went on a rampage.
They were demanding to be allowed to go home after 90 learners were admitted to various hospitals following an outbreak of a ‘strange illness.’
A statement by the County Government said that the Board of Management, Ministry of Education officials and the Teachers Service Commission held consultations before the decision was made.
On Monday, it was reported that students were hospitalised in various hospitals in Kakamega county over an undisclosed illness.
Sources privy to the situation revealed that 30 students are admitted to Kakamega Level Five Hospitals, 20 to Shibwe Level Four Hospital and 12 to Iguhu Level Four Hospital.
A medic at Ihugu Hospital told the Star that initial laboratory tests had revealed that the students had elevated electrolytes, meaning that they had lost fluids.
Electrolytes are essential for basic life functioning, such as maintaining electrical neutrality in human body cells and generating and conducting action potentials in the nerves and muscles.
Prolonged or severe diarrhoea and sweating can result in the loss of electrolytes.
What is happening at Eregi girls? Never seen such a disease. pic.twitter.com/4EYQFSEZ7S
— Propesa (@Propesaa) October 4, 2023