Two teenage boys die of tetanus after circumcision

Neighbours and relatives at the home of the late Welton Komon in Kapsika village, Mt Elgon, yesterday /BRIAN OJAMAA
Neighbours and relatives at the home of the late Welton Komon in Kapsika village, Mt Elgon, yesterday /BRIAN OJAMAA

Two teen boys from kapsika village in Cheptais sub county Mt elgon constituency in Bungoma County have mysterious died after undergoing traditional cut.

Wilton Komon 16 years old and ivon wekesa are said to have died due to tetanus.

The two had been cut by one traditional circumsicor.

The circumscor has since gone missing.

The two were students of Kapsika primary who were to join class eight next year.

Wekesa was the first to die after he developed a severe headache and joints pains.

He was rushed to bungoma referral hospital and later moved to Kakamega hospital where he died while undoing treatment.

Komon who died on Tuesday morning died after he developed stiffness in the neck.

He was rushed to Cheptais district hospital and later moved to the bungoma referral hospital where he succumbed.

Komon parents told scribes who visited the homestead on Tuesday that he was very much saddened by the death of his third born.

Agnea Wafula the father said that his boy was born healthy and has never developed any complications

This was my third boy I was circumcising after the other two older boys were also cut successfully in a traditional manner

He asked the county government and well wishers to help him foot hospital bills and arrange for his sons burial.

He said that doctors told him that his son died because he did not go for tetanus injection after the cut.

Hosea Kisebe an elder in the area said that as a community they are grieving the death of two teenagers.

Kisebe said that they totally blame the circumscor for not advising the cut boys to go for tetanus injection.

He asked the county to give the traditional circumcisor training on hygiene as they perform the cut.

He denied any witchcraft to be behind the death.

Alfred Kones Deputy head teacher at kapsika primary said that the two students were very bright in class and it was saddening to lose them

We have more than twenty students from the school that were cut this traditionally way and we are scared that they too could die if they are not given tetanus injection

Area Mca Jane Chebeti who visited the homestead asked residents who have had their children cut to inform her so that she can sponsor them to go to hospital for tetanus injection

She said that it was worrying that another boy from chebombai Area has been rushed to hospital with similar tatanus symptoms

We are calling upon the cs for gender and culture to ensure the circumscor in the region are given classes on how they can conduct the exercise and prevent more deaths.

A resident who sought anonymity said that a certain traditional tree that is found deep in Mt Elgon forest had flowered which was a bad omen.

He said that whenever that tree known as Nugut in Sabaot flowers during circumcision years a bad thing must happen to the initiates.

Bukusu, Tachoni and sabaot teen boys aged between 10 to 18 years are undergoing the cut this year.

Bodies of the two are at Bungoma referral

morgue.

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