Dental fluorosis crisis in Naivasha deepens amid calls for better water

A dentist at Naivasha sub-county referral hospital attends to a minor with teeth complications in the facility where 95 percent of patients treated in the dental department suffer from fluorosis. [Antony Gitonga, Standard]

Naivasha MP Jane Kihara has challenged the government to keep its promise of supplying the town with fluoride-free water from Nyandarua County as one of addressing the issue of brown teeth and weak bones.

The MP termed fluoride-free water as a better gift to residents compared to the multi-million dollar affordable housing project being undertaken in the lakeside town.

For years, Naivasha residents have suffered from dental fluorosis, a condition caused by the high levels of fluoride in the water consumed in and around the town.

This emerged when the MP joined two youths who had been tree-hugging for 120 hours to protest the decision to lock residents from joining uniformed forces due to their brown teeth.

Kihara said that water from Nyandarua would come in handy in resolving the current crisis, which for years has seen youths discriminated against joining the police and the army.

She supported an ongoing petition where residents are collecting signatures to petition the National Assembly and the Senate to intervene over the discrimination.

“Am proud of these youths who have decided to unite the town through this noble issue of high fluoride, which for years has seen many locked out from joining uniformed forces,” she said.

On his part, Martin Njenga, a director of Makau Oasis Housing, termed the issue of colored teeth as sensitive as it had affected the livelihoods of many area residents.

While praising the two youths, he said that the company would award them a plot each and a cash award, as they had raised an issue that had been bypassed for years.

“Many of our sons have been locked out of joining the uniformed forces due to reasons that are beyond them, and the ongoing petition will change this narrative,” he said.

A High Court advocate, Kiarie Wairegi, said that the youths had ignited a new initiative on the issue of colored teeth and job opportunities.

“Apart from seeking parliament intervention, we should go the legal way as locking somebody from job opportunities based on the color of their teeth is discrimination,” he said.

One of the youths, David Mwangi, who hugged a tree for 120 hours, said that he took the initiative due to suffering he had undergone due to the color of his teeth caused by the high fluoride.

On her part, Pauline Waithera called for support for tens of women who had been abused or detained while seeking green pastures for their families in Gulf countries.