St. Theresa’s Eregi Girls High School, in Kakamega County, has been forced to close its doors due to the emergence of an unidentified illness within the school premises.
In an official statement released by the school administration, the decision to shut down the institution was made following a meeting involving school administrators and representatives from the county government.
According to the statement, students in Form one, two, and three will have a one-week break while investigations into the nature of the disease are ongoing.
Meanwhile, Form Four students will continue their studies. The form four students are currently preparing for the impending Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations, scheduled to commence in late October.
“The BOM, Ministry of Education officials, TSC representatives, and the school’s sponsor agreed to allow Form 1, 2, and 3 students to take a temporary break. They are expected to return next week, pending a thorough assessment of the situation and the implementation of necessary measures to prevent any recurrence…” the statement from the County Government of Kakamega reads in part.
Blood samples sent to KEMRI
The statement further revealed that the decision was made in the presence of officials from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the Ministry of Education. Others present included parents, the school’s Board of Management (BOM), and the entire school community.
Blood samples from the 95 affected students have been sent to the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) facilities in Nairobi and Kisumu counties for in-depth analysis.
Initial laboratory tests indicated that the affected students had elevated levels of electrolytes, signifying a loss of bodily fluids.
