The Kenyan government, in collaboration with the Ministries of Health and Education, must establish a comprehensive, long-term strategy to combat the growing health issues afflicting our secondary schools.
In recent times, we have witnessed troubling incidents where secondary school students have fallen victim to mysterious illnesses that disrupt their regular learning routines. St. Theresa Eregi Girls High School is the most recent addition to a distressing list of schools that have grappled with mass student illnesses, with Mukumu Girls High School and Butere Boys High School reporting similar cases earlier this year.
By October 3rd, more than 105 students displayed symptoms of a perplexing limb-paralysis ailment, leading to their admission to various hospitals in Kakamega County. Some were hospitalized at Kakamega Level Five Hospital, while others were taken to Shibwe Level Four Hospital and Iguhu Level Four Hospital.
Fearing for their children’s well-being, some parents insisted on taking their children home. These parents argue that the school violated their rights by concealing information about the students’ health. Some even claim that teachers willfully avoided their calls.
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| St Theresa Eregi Girls high school students at a hospital. Photo courtesy : KBC |
Notably, all these affected schools are located within the Western region, specifically Kakamega County. This peculiar concentration of cases raises concerns about the inadequate response to the root causes of these illnesses. Initially attributed to contaminated water, the actual reasons for these recent incidents remain a baffling mystery.
The concerned ministries must conduct an extensive awareness campaign within educational institutions at all levels, from nursery schools to tertiary institutions, focusing on hygiene and fundamental human health.
These incidents underscore the pressing need to improve communication between teachers and parents. The government has previously run awareness campaigns on hygiene during cholera outbreaks, and similar efforts are now imperative to address the escalating health crises in schools.
Currently, the affected school remains closed while health practitioners from the Ministry of Health conduct tests to identify the enigmatic disease
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