A 13-year-old girl from Kibuu village in Gatanga, Murang’a County has had her hand amputated following electrocution, an accident she suffered on Saturday, April 23.
Sharleen Muthoni who was hoping to join Form One with her fellow 2021 KCPE pupils on May 4 suffered multiple injuries on her right hand, and her face among other parts of the body disabling blood flow.
PHOTO/Mathew Ndung'u
According to her mother Gladys Wairimu Wanyoike, the unfortunate incident happened when Muthoni was farming with her sister.
The former Mugeka Primary School pupil is said to have gotten hold of a high-voltage powerline while crossing from their farm to another ridge when the electrocution happened.
Narrating how the incident occurred, Wairimu revealed that she was in her immediate neighbours’ home helping with cooking chores when a local called her to attend to her daughter.
“I had been invited by my neighbour to help her cook for visitors. We had even finished cooking when a resident reported that my daughter had been involved in an accident. I left what I was doing to go and attend to her,” she recounted.
Confused, Wairimu with the help of good Samaritans rushed her to Thika Level Five Hospital where she was to undergo an operation to save her hand.
Unfortunately, orthopaedic surgeons in her case established that Muthoni’s blood flow had malfunctioned, causing an amputation procedure which was conducted at the level of her soldier.
Distraught, Wairimu stated that she had even bought a school uniform for the daughter who scored 212 marks in the 2021 KCPE results regretting that the unfortunate occurrence could delay her dreams.
“My daughter is very hardworking and she wanted to help me with the plantation before she could join form one,” Wairimu said.
Kenya Power blamed for the electrocution incident
Speaking at Thika Level Five Hospital in Kiambu County where the daughter is recuperating, Wairimu urged the government to take action against Kenya Power over negligence saying that locals had lodged complaints about the state of the live-wire pole.
According to Catherine Munyendo, the Deputy Superintendent for Thika Level 5, the girl had severe burns that had affected her internal right-hand organs.
Munyendo revealed that immediate first aid was initiated on the girl who got an admission into the burns unit but her blood flow had been fully affected making her right hand unable to survive.
“Orthopedic surgeons went in two days ago and operated on her but they could only manage to salvage the hand at the level of the soldier,” Munyendo stated.
The medic revealed that although the girl is stable and recovering well, she has been in deep pain but doctors are steadily managing her situation.
PHOTO/Mathew Ndung'u
