“There is a misconception that Kodiaga Prison gets its water from our water company and it doesn’t,” Abonyo said.
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 27 – The Kisumu County Government says a breakdown of the water treatment plant at the Kodiaga Prison could have occasioned the cholera outbreak that left three people dead.
Water County Executive Barack Abonyo said the prison facility will be given chlorine to help them in treating their water and said they will be connected to water being supplied by Kisumu Water and Sewerage Company.
“I want to be very clear on this because there is a misconception that Kodiaga Prison gets its water from our water company and it doesn’t,” he stated.
“Kodiaga Prison has its water supply. It comes from a river that passes by the prison and we found that the river is contaminated and we are urging people not to drink that water,” he said.
His health counterpart Elizabeth Ogaja also announced plans to start implementing the Public Health Act in the wake of the outbreak.
“This means that you must have workers who have been evaluated and tested and found to be completely free of any bacteria that causes cholera or any other disease,” she said.
The Ministry of Health has identified four counties including Nairobi, Machakos and Garissa as major cholera hotspots following the outbreak that has left more than 10 people dead and dozens hospitalised.
Kodiaga Maximum Prison inmates were hospitalised with diarrhoea and vomiting, symptoms associated with cholera.
County Health Director Ojwang Lusi said medical officials were working to curb further spread.
He said one of the victims was a trader who died after he was rushed to Port Florence Hospital with cholera symptoms.
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