Of snakebite, faith and silence: The deadly doctrine behind journalist's death

 

Mutua, whose family belongs to the Kavonokya sect, was kept at home for three weeks after being bitten by a snake, until it was too late for medical intervention. [Silas Nyamweya, Standard]

The death of Kamba journalist Kitavi Mutua following a venomous snakebite has shifted the national conversation from the availability of antivenom in snake-prone regions to a more difficult question: What can the State do when religious beliefs prevent a patient from seeking medical treatment?