Two children have died in Mumias West, Kakamega County, after eating poisonous cassava.
And in Mwitoti village, Mumias East, seven family members were treated and discharged after eating ugali made from cassava flour
Phaustine Atamba, the nursing office in charge of St Mary's Mission Hospital in Mumias, said one child aged six years died on arrival at the hospital while the other one, aged three, succumbed several hours after he was admitted.
"On Sunday, we received two siblings from Mumias West who were vomiting and complaining of abdominal pain. One of them died on arrival while the other died after admission," she said.
She added: "They developed complications after eating cassava. We suspect the root was poisonous and not fit for human consumption."
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She also confirmed that on Saturday the hospital received seven people - six children and their father - complaining of stomachache and vomiting.
She said the patients said they had eaten cassava flour ugali and added that it was suspected that it had been contaminated.
"They were admitted and later discharged after they responded well to treatment. There are different species of cassava and some have a substance that is poisonous to humans," she said.
Christine Taka, the children's mother, said she got the flour from her home in Busia County.
