The Ministry of Health (MoH) has called for strict adherence to food safety standards in schools after 68 students from St Thomas Aquinas Igumori Secondary School in Mbeere South, Embu County, were hospitalized following a suspected case of food poisoning.
In a statement to newsrooms, Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni confirmed that the ministry was closely monitoring the situation in collaboration with the Embu County government. She assured the public, parents, and students that there was no cause for panic, as all affected students had received the necessary medical care and were out of danger.
“The general public, parents, and students are assured that the situation is under control, and there should be no panic. The affected students have received medical attention and are out of danger,” Muthoni stated.
She urged all schools to strictly adhere to the Kenya School Meals, Food Safety, and Quality Guidelines, emphasizing the need for high hygiene and sanitation standards in all food handling areas.
She also called on school administrators to prioritize students’ health and safety by enforcing robust food safety protocols and maintaining a clean and hygienic learning environment.
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The incident at St Thomas Aquinas Igumori occurred after Form Four students consumed suspected contaminated cow head meat, leading to severe stomach pains and diarrhea. Concerned teachers and staff promptly rushed the affected students to a Level 3 hospital for treatment, with five requiring further medical attention at Embu Level 5 Hospital.
School Principal Paul Mwaniki confirmed that only Form Four students were affected, while those who consumed regular meat showed no symptoms. He suggested that contamination may have occurred while preparing the cow head meat.
Food contamination
Despite the distressing situation, Mwaniki reassured parents and the school community that medical teams had swiftly intervened and that there was no cause for alarm. Preliminary findings pointed to food contamination, but samples had been collected for further testing to confirm the source.
Embu County Executive Committee (CEC) Member for Health Jamal Runyenje echoed Mwaniki’s sentiments, noting that all hospitalized students had recovered and been discharged to school. He assured parents that there were no fatalities and that county medical teams were closely monitoring the situation.
“We are working closely with the school and health experts to ensure such an incident does not happen again,” he stated.
Meanwhile, county health officers have investigated the incident, focusing on food storage, preparation processes, and the meat supplier to determine whether negligence was a factor.
As the affected students continue their recovery, education, and health officials are urging all learning institutions to enforce strict food safety measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
By Brian Kaleti
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