24 children hospitalised after consuming poisonous seeds in Embu

EMBU: Twenty four children from Nthagaiya village, Embu East Sub County are recuperating at various hospitals in Embu County after consuming seeds of a poisonous tree, suspected to be castor oil tree.

Out of the 14, 16 are admitted at the Embu Level Five hospital while eight others are at Runyenjes Sub-County hospital suffering from stomach ache and vomiting.

The children said they collected fruits in a farm near a church where they had gone for evening Sunday worship at around 5pm, peeled them and ate the seeds.

They then started vomiting and developed stomach pains.

"We returned home and told our parents because we were vomiting and in great pain. They took us to hospital," said one of the children.

Beatrice Wawira, mother to one of the children, said they gave the children water to drink so as to reduce the stomach pains before taking them to Runyenjes Hospital at around 7pm for treatment.

Wawira said those who had developed major effects were referred to the Embu Level Five Hospital.

John Ngari, another parent from the same area, said the plant was introduced in the area by agricultural officers in 2007 through a programme where the farmers would sell the fruits to the ministry.

He said the officers have never bothered to monitor the progress of the programme.

Embu Level 5 Hospital Public Health officer Maina Kariuki said the children were responding well to treatment and were in stable condition.

He said they were liaising with agriculture officers to establish the identity of the fruit adding that if need be they will take the fruit to the Government chemist to get its identity.

Kariuki called on residents to be careful on what they consume given recent cholera outbreaks in the country.