22 admitted after consuming meat from sick cow

Twenty-two people from Singorwet Village in Bomet Central sub-County were on Sunday night admitted at Longisa County Referral Hospital after consuming uninspected meat.

The hospital’s medical superintendent Dr David Barng’ass said the patients were admitted with symptoms ranging from diarrhea to mild headaches, indicating possible food poisoning.

One of the patients, Simon Maritim, said they bought the meat from a village hawker who normally supplies them with cheap meat and started vomiting soon after consuming it.

According to Dr Barng’ass, a majority of those admitted are in stable condition and can now be discharged.

“We had a total of 24 patients, two were treated and discharged but most are stable and ready to be discharged,” he said.

Earlier this year four people died and 18 others were hospitalised after consuming contaminated meat and mutura in Gishagi area of Ngong, Kajiado County.

The 22 are reported to have consumed meat sold by the roadside, falling victim to what many suspect is yet another cholera outbreak.

Last year in October, 300 patients were admitted in a hospital in Meru County after consuming meat from a sick cow.

The 147 males, 134 females and 19 children were receiving medical treatment at Kanyekine Sub-County Hospital following the food poisoning incident.

The infected beef was traced back to Japhat Muthomi who is said to have slaughtered the sick cow after advice from a quack veterinarian.

According to Muthomi, who is still in police custody, the fake vet, Elphas Kibia, assured him that the meat was fit for consumption because the cow had been treated.

Muthomi said he was unaware of the potential danger posed by consuming the meat because he also fed the same beef to his family, who also suffered from stomach pains.

The quack vet, Elphas Kibia, admitted that he went to school in Kabete but he did not have a license to carry out his operations.

Kibia said that he inspected the meat and he saw it was fit for consumption.