Two children died and eleven others are admitted to hospital after eating bean-like cereals believed to be poisonous in Lugari sub-county.
The two died at home while the eleven were rushed to the Webuye sub-county hospital where they were admitted on Sunday evening. They complained of stomach pains.
The deceased were identified as Emmanuel Wamalwa and Gideon Wamalwa aged 3 and 2 respectively.
Their father John Wamalwa said that the children ate a beans meal prepared by one of his wives before she left for church on Sunday.
"I have two wives. The beans were prepared by one of them and she served all my children. We normally eat these beans and I don't know what may have happened," he said.
He said that his wife ate again the remnants of the beans at the police station but she was not affected.
He said that the children started complaining of a stomach ache at around 3:00 pm and the first child died moments later as they prepared to take him to the hospital.
The second one died on the way to the hospital.
The incident occurred at Sinatule village of Chevaywa location in Lugari, Kakamega county, on Monday morning.
Media said that the children ate the beans with her and they ate the same meal again during lunchtime.
Chevaywa chief Alex Giricho said that the said bean-like plant is normally planted by farmers on their farms to control moles that destroy their crops.
"They say that moles die when they eat the roots of the plant and that is why it is used to keep the burrows away from crop fields,” he said.
A doctor at the Webuye hospital Simon Saka said that the eleven were in stable condition and ready for discharge.
