Local leader in Mumias stung to death in bee attack

A swarm of bees attacked and killed the former chairman of the defunct Mumias Outgrowers Company.

Basil Misango, 74, who was also a Kanu leader in Lurambi constituency, was attacked after a hawk disturbed a beehive at his home in Eshisiru, Kakamega.

The bees also attacked his wife and two children who have been hospitalised.

The hive was located in the ceiling board of Mr Misango's house and the bees had made it their home for 10 years.

"I can't tell exactly what transpired because these bees have been in the ceiling for 10 years without causing any problems for people or livestock," said Martin Kumbo who witnessed the incident.

"But when the hawk hit the hive, the bees swarmed out and began stinging everyone in the compound. They first attacked Misango's son and when he came out to help, they turned on him," he said.

His wife, Susan Misango, who rushed into the house and came out with a blanket to protect her husband, is in hospital nursing severe injuries.

ALLERGIC REACTION

Medics at Kakamega County Referral hospital where the family was taken for treatment said Misango died from a severe allergic reaction to the bee stings.

Ms Misango and her two children are still recuperating at the facility.

"The patients have localised pain and reddish swellings on the body but they are responding well to medication," said a medic.

Seven of Misango's cows were also stung but two workers said they saved them from further harm by pouring paraffin on them.

"One calf was stung so many times that it cannot chew," said one worker.

The bees buzzed around the homestead for hours, forcing a group of Christians who visited the home to condole with the family to hold prayers outside the gate.

A number of elders claimed a supernatural force was behind the incident, which they described as rare. They said according to Luhya culture, bees do not sting aged men.

"Since my childhood, this has never happened in Ebuhahi village. Bees are known to sting boys who provoke them but not the elderly. I am aware of the tales that bees are 'sent' to sting people and we will look into that," said Gibson Omwera, one of the elders.

According to a health worker, people who stay close to bees or who rear them in their homesteads and have a severe allergy to their stings must keep adrenaline injections on stand-by.