Poisonous snakebites claim life of woman, grandpa

By Antony Ndwigah and Shedrack Illava

Residents of Maraga Village in Embu County are in mourning after a 40-year-old woman from the area died from a poisonous snakebite.

The deceased and her husband had gone collect firewood from Maraga Forest when the snake attacked her, biting her lower left leg.

Her husband rushed her to Embu Level Five Hospital, but she passed away while receiving treatment.

Residents are now calling on the Kenya Wildlife Service to act quickly to resolve the human-wildlife conflict in the region, adding that such incidences have been on the rise.

100-year-old dies in Mwingi

On Sunday, 100-year-old Daniel Kiema Kasuve passed away at Mwingi Level 4 Hospital, succumbing to complications arising from a poisonous snakebite.

Kasuve had been undergoing treatment for two weeks after being attacked by a puff adder.

Villagers mourned the loss of the grandfather saying that more could be done to prevent such deaths. They called on the County Government to act proactively by ensuring that all hospitals in the area are stocked with anti-venom.

County legislator Musee Mulongo asked the KWS to compensate all the victims in the Mui area, adding that the region has had the highest number of snakebite incidents in Kitui County.

Since December there have been over 30 reported snake attack cases in the region with over half being children under 10 years. Most of the snakebites have been reported around Mui, Kyuso, Tsekuru Nuu and Nguni areas.