'Chapati' poisons dozens in Naivasha

Written By:Glena Nyamwaya,    Posted: Fri, Aug 05, 2011

The patients all from Njabini in Kinangop Nyandarua County were brought in after consuming chapatis on Thursday evening

Twenty people including seven minors are admitted in critical condition at the Naivasha district hospital from suspected food poisoning.

The patients all from Njabini in Kinangop Nyandarua County were brought in after consuming chapatis on Thursday evening.

There were fears that the number could rise as those affected were brought in pick-ups and matatus, were all suffering from hallucinations.

The patients also complained of blurred vision, being weak, vomiting, stomachache and headache.

Former Kinangop MP Waithaka Mwangi who was among the first to visit the patients called for speedy investigations into the issue.

Following the incident, public health officers from Naivasha and Kinangop embarked on a major operation to track the source of the contaminated flour.

According to a victim Ms Grace Wanjiku who was in stable condition, problem started hours after consuming the chapatis.

"The minors started complaining of stomach aches and later my husband acted like someone possessed by evil spirits,"

Wanjiku whose ten year old son is also admitted in the hospital said that they had bought the wheat flour from a posho mill in Njabini town.

The medical superintendent in charge of the hospital Dr Joseph Mburu said that initial examinations had established that the victims were suffering from food poisoning.

"We currently have ten patients and we expect the number to rise as more are coming in but all are in stable conditions,"

Mburu said that the flour could have been contaminated by a weed datura stramonium based on the patients' symptoms.

And addressing the press, Kinangop and Naivasha District Public Health Officers Mr William Sani and Samuel King'ori respectively said that five families were affected.

According to Sani the posho mill that sold the contaminated flour had been closed and the owner was recording a statement with police.

On his part, King'ori said that they had established that the flour had originated from a cereal store in a Naivasha store.

"Our officers are on the ground following the issue to make sure that no more contaminated wheat flour is sold," he said.