Over 20 people in hospital after drinking poisoned milk

Over twenty people including a member of the clergy have been admitted at Olenguruone Sub-District hospital after reportedly drinking contaminated milk during a circumcision ceremony at Lelachtich in Kuresoi South, Nakuru County.

Speaking on phone after visiting the victims at the hospital, Amalo Ward MCA Hillary Kaptich said family members, friends and neighbours who drank the milk at the ceremony on Friday started complaining of stomach pain and had to be rushed to hospital.

MCA Kaptich said several other people who are said drank the milk were treated and discharged.

The incident comes barely a month after 23 people, majority of them school going children, from seven families were admitted at Kitale District Hospital, with three in the intensive care unit (ICU), after consuming contaminated milk.

The milk is said to have been laced with Traitix which is a pesticide used to control ticks, lice and mange mites in cattle, pigs and sheep.

According to residents, the milk vendor distributed milk to every homestead in the village but shortly after consuming the milk they started feeling sick with most of them experiencing severe stomach pain.

Kenya Diary Board (KDB) has in recent days warned that some of the milk in the market is contaminated.

According to KDB, a big number of milk importers in Kenya are not registered and most of their products are unapproved, which poses a great risk to consumers.