Two children have been confirmed dead and 18 residents hospitalised after consuming indigenous honey in Rukaani village in Tharaka-Nithi County.
On Thursday, 25 August 2022, the children and residents had gone to witness a tree cutting exercise in the village, when they noticed a hive on the tree and consumed its contents, before inviting others for the feast.
Peter Gitonga, a resident while giving accounts of the events, said children and women who formed the majority of the people that had consumed the honey began feeling sickly at midnight and were rushed to the Marimanti level 4 hospital.
"Most of the people that consumed the honey began to have diarrhoea and vomit and we used all available means to rush them to hospital alongside assistance from an ambulance," he said.
Godfrey Njagi Kirugi, the owner of the tree that was cut, apologized for the great loss the village had witnessed saying the tree was meant for pillars which would be used to erect a fence.
According to Njagi, he left the scene after paying the workers their wages having tasted the honey and would later develop stomach pains which he treated by taking milk.
Hospital management through Stephen Kamanja confirmed that the hospital received its first case from midnight to Friday morning and that 18 of the victims had been hospitalised with one already discharged.
"The rest are recovering in the wards and are in stable conditions as they receive treatment. One of the victims died on their way to the hospital with the other losing their life while getting treatment", he said.
He cautioned residents against the consumption of indigenous products, especially honey, with similar incidents witnessed in the county before.
Tharaka North Sub-county OCPD Kimanzi Mwangangi while confirming the incident sent his condolences to the affected families, warning against the consumption of wild products whose source was unknown.
Parents were also asked to be vigilant and monitor their kids' activities at all times to avert such incidents in the future.
