The school board has indefinitely closed Khasoko Boys School in Bumula Constituency, Bungoma County, following an outbreak of an unknown illness that resulted in the death of a student.
The Ministry of Health in Bungoma County is investigating the outbreak and has begun a thorough health assessment of the affected students and staff.
According to reports, on May 17, a student became ill and went to the hospital, where he was treated for malaria and returned to school.
On May 18, the student returned to the hospital, where he was admitted despite being in stable condition.
On the night of May 19, the student was transferred to BCRCH for further management, and on the 20th, the student died before the specimen was even taken for analysis.
At least 47 students developed malaria-like symptoms, with two reporting abdominal pains, and were taken to Bumula.
Only six students tested positive for malaria and were treated before returning to school.
The board of education met today, and the director of education decided to close the school.
Bungoma Health CEC Andrew Wamalwa said that the autopsy report indicated that the deceased had a perforation in the stomach that led to peritonitis.
He said the county has sent a team of health experts to collect food and water samples from the school which will be sent to Nairobi for forensic laboratory tests to ascertain if there is an infection at the school.
“Let us remain calm as the health team does its job to ascertain what really happened,” Wamalwa said.
