Several students from Nyabururu Girls National School in Kisii County are alleged to have been secretly hospitalized after a case of suspected food poisoning.
A visit to health facilities in the area revealed that some were either admitted or treated and discharged. Those still in hospital were found on intravenous fluids (IV).
“We are given bad food which is prepared from a dirty kitchen and that is why we have developed stomach pains and diarrhea,” one student lamented.
“We were threatened by the matron not to disclose the information to parents and guardians and those who tried to do so were reprimanded while those who complained of pain and diarrhoea were beaten by the school principal for allegedly pretending to be sick,” another one claimed.
In 2016, some teachers at the same school were accused of assaulting students despite the ban on corporal punishment. Parents who turned up after getting wind of the situation were denied entry into the school.
On Saturday, Mr. Evans Bosire, a parent at the school, told Citizen Digital that he was denied entry when he went to see his child and the teachers demanded to know who had informed him of the incident.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a medical officer at Nyangena Hospital said at least 20 students were brought in.
According to him, they have been receiving medication from the hospital since Thursday when the students reportedly suffered from food poisoning.
Mr. Eznas Nyaramba, a human rights activist, castigated the school management for allegedly trying to cover up the incident. He further accused the county education bosses of colluding with the school to keep it a secret.
On her part, Joyce Ombasa, a nominated Kisii County MCA who also serves as the deputy chairperson in the Education docket, also criticised the school managers for failing to report the matter.
She called for immediate closure of the institution so that parents can seek proper medical attention for their children.
Ombasa also appealed to relevant authorities to take action against the school principal.
Efforts to reach the school management were futile as journalists was not allowed into the compound.