Seven pupils of Kanaani Integrated Primary School in Athi River, Machakos County were admitted at Athi River level 4 Hospital, in Machakos County after eating wild fruits believed to be poisonous.
Six of the seven were discharged with one pupil withheld at the hospital for further observation.
Reports indicate 59 pupils of Kanaani Integrated Primary School ingested the wild fruits.
Following the incident, officials from Machakos County Government have taken samples of the wild fruits ingested by the pupils to the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) for analysis.
“Some 59 pupils of ages ranging between six and nine years were yesterday taken to Athi River Level 4 Hospital after experiencing severe abdominal pains and vomiting. The good news is that medics at the facility managed to deal with all cases,” said Machakos County Executive Member for Heath, Dr Daniel Yumbya.
Dr Yumbya says samples have also been extracted from the pupils and sent for testing at the Machakos level 5 hospital laboratories as authorities strived to contain the incident.
“We have collected and dispatched the samples of the wild fruits that were ingested by the children to KEMRI for analysis and also instructed our public health officers to destroy the remains of the trees in line with the established safety guidelines,” Dr Yumbya said in a statement to the press.
The Health CEC says the Machakos County Government had met the entire cost of treatment administered on the pupils.
The 59 pupils were taken ill Tuesday afternoon immediately eating the said wild fruits picked from a tree within the school compound. They exhibited vomiting and acute abdominal pains.