At least seven patients, including six children, are being treated at Nyambene Level 4 Hospital in Meru County after ingesting camel meat that had mysteriously died. The patients have symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.
On Friday and early Saturday, more than 100 villagers who had earlier complained about hunger owing to a scarcity of food in the area were treated and released.
Most of the patients, many of whom were as young as 3 years old, were mothers and children, according to hospital managers.
The phrase “Ile ilitendeka kwetu ni ngamia alikufa tukaenda kukata nyama tukapikia watoto wetu wakakula, sasa wakaanza kugonjeka” is used. One of the women uttered, “Wakatuokota huko nyumbani wakatuleta hospitali.”
They claimed that extreme hunger caused by the country’s widespread drought led them to eat the flesh from the two camels that had mysteriously passed away.
The 100 individuals were being treated by Dr. Githu Wachira, who determined that they had food poisoning.
The majority of the patients complained of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and headaches.
