Thika family in agony as cholera kills two brothers

A family in Komo village, Thika East is grieving following the sudden demise of two brothers who died of Cholera.

The two, Stephen Njoroge, 50 and Francis Karanja, 42 died 48 hours apart at Thika level 5 Hospital where they had been rushed on Tuesday evening after exhibiting Cholera symptoms including severe diarrhoea and vomiting.

Karanja passed on the same day at the hospital’s waiting bay while Njoroge died on Thursday at the same facility while receiving treatment.

Medical results seen by the Star indicated that Njoroge was suffering from the deadly disease while Karanja’s laboratory results turned out negative.

The two according to close family members passed on after allegedly eating mudfish sourced from the heavily polluted Komo River, which has since been renamed Sewerage River.

Karanja’s wife Nelius Njeri told journalists at their home that her husband started complaining of stomach upsets on Monday evening.

She said that Vomiting and diarrhoea became severe on Tuesday night and they decided to rush him to the hospital.

“He [Karanja] became very weak from diarrhoea and vomiting and couldn’t eat anything. We proceeded to his brother’s home a few meters from our home to alert them of his deteriorating health. To our surprise, Njoroge was suffering the same symptoms. We rushed them to Munyu health centre and then proceeded to Thika Level Five Hospital but unfortunately, my husband passed on even before he was admitted,” Njeri said.

The mother of four said that his husband was the sole breadwinner for their family blaming his death on the high pollution of the Komo River, which is the major source of their water for domestic and irrigation purposes.

“Raw sewerage and industrial effluents are being released into the river which we depend on for water. People are fishing in the contaminated river and selling the fish to residents in the village and the nearby villages. It’s the fish from the river that the two consumed over the weekend that has caused this tragedy,” she said amid sobs.

Residents pointed an accusing finger at the Kiambu County Government and other authorities including the National Environment and Management Authority (NEMA) and Thika Water and Sewerage Company (Thiwasco) for allowing pollution of the River under their watch.

“The river is choking with pollution, water has turned black and foamy and a pungent smell emanating from the river has worsened the situation. There’s a free flow of raw sewerage and effluents into the river and despite raising the matter with the relevant authorities no action has been taken,” said resident David Chege.

Chege said that the river pollution is a ticking time bomb in Komo, Githima and Munyu villages and especially after the outbreak of Cholera, which has already claimed two lives.

He said speedy intervention by the county public health officers is imperative to avert a possible health crisis in the area.

Resident Tabitha Muthoni decried that farmers in the area are using the polluted water in their farms to grow crops including vegetables noting that consumption of the food is a health hazard to them and other consumers.

“Residents depend on the river for farming and later selling their produce in major markets within Thika. Crops grown in this area are not fit for human consumption. For example, when you cook kales or spinach farmed with water from this river, white foam will form in the sufuria. This indicates that the crops grown here are putting the health of thousands of consumers at peril,” Muthoni said.

Gatuanyaga Ward MCA Jackson Kung’u called on the relevant authorities to act swiftly and address the issue saying that the lives of thousands of Gatuanyaga residents are in danger.

“There are people who have slept on their jobs. Rogue Exhauster operators are channelling raw sewerage into the river with impunity as if there are being protected by some individuals. Again raw sewage being pumped into the river from the Kang’oki sewerage treatment plant should be checked by the responsible authorities. We don’t know how many people we will lose before they act,” Kung’u said.

On Friday, health officers from the Kiambu County Government were deployed in the villages to conduct contact tracing as they seek to curb the spread of the disease.