Mutahi Kagwe, the Health CS on Thursday warned of a cholera outbreak that is sweeping through Norther-Eastern counties and parts of central Kenya.
In a briefing at Afya House, the CS noted that the outbreak had so far claimed 13 lives, 70 percent of who were children.
“We are particularly exposed to disease because of the ongoing rains and flooding in parts of the country. We have a cholera outbreak which started off in Garissa and gradually made its way through three other counties – Wajir, Turkana, Murang’a – before being reported in Marsabit.
“The Ministry of Health is working to control the 550 reported cases out of which 268 are in Marsabit while 222 are in Turkana County,” the CS announced.
He added that Garissa had 48 cases, while Wajir and Murang’a had four and eight cases respectively which were being managed in hospitals.
The highest number of deaths so far is in Marsabit County where 12 people had succumbed and one person in Turkana.
He further divulged that 40 percent of the reported cases are children under 10 years old.
The CS further expressed that the government was working toward containing the outbreak in the next two weeks.
