The Ministry of Education has closed down St Theresa’s Eregi Girls’ High School after a number of students were hospitalised over a mysterious illness.

This even as it emerged that Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu is due to visit the institution in the next ‘couple of hours’.

Education officials in Kakamega County decided to temporarily close the school on Wednesday after students went on a rampage.

They were demanding to be allowed to go home after 90 learners were admitted to various hospitals following an outbreak of a ‘strange illness.’

A statement by the County Government said that the Board of Management, Ministry of Education officials and the Teachers Service Commission held consultations before the decision was made.

“‘Form 1, 2, and 3 students were allowed to break temporarily and are expected to report back next week once the situation has been carefully assessed and necessary measures put in place to prevent any recurrence of a similar situation,” the statement reads in part.

Read also:

List of Projects to Be Launched by Ruto During His Nyanza Tour

TSC Rolls Out Retirement Sensitization Program Targeting Teachers Aged 50 and Above

Withdraw Capitation Circular as No School Got Capitation, Kuppet Tells MOE

Ruto: No More Grants For Universities

KNUT Supports MOE’s New KCSE Grading Structure

KUPPET Supports Proposal to Allow Sick Students Skip KCPE, KCSE Exams

Grade 7 Teachers to Be Trained in October-See Schedule

Form 4 students who are due to begin their exams will remain in school.

On Wednesday, top county officials led by the County Executive Committee Member for Education, Science and Technology Bonface Okoth and his Health Services counterpart Benard Wesonga visited the school.

They said that the county government is committed to finding a solution to the health challenge.

According to Okoth, the incident resulted in more than 95 students being hospitalised.

He said blood samples from the affected students have been sent to the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) in Nairobi and Kisumu for further analysis.

He said the county government is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all students in learning institutions.

“Efforts will be made to create a conducive learning environment where students can thrive academically, free from disruptions and harm,'” he said.

He assured of the county government’s dedication to collaborating with all stakeholders to address unexpected issues that may emerge in learning institutions across the County.

On Monday, it was reported that students were hospitalised in various hospitals in Kakamega county over an undisclosed illness.

Sources privy to the situation told the Star that 30 students are admitted to Kakamega Level Five Hospitals, 20 to Shibwe Level Four Hospital and  12 to Iguhu Level Four Hospital.

A medic at Ihugu Hospital told the Star that initial laboratory tests had revealed that the students had elevated electrolytes, meaning that they had lost fluids.

Electrolytes are essential for basic life functioning, such as maintaining electrical neutrality in human body cells and generating and conducting action potentials in the nerves and muscles.

Prolonged or severe diarrhoea and sweating can result in the loss of electrolytes.

Amelia Jacobeth Liabule who emerged top prison Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) candidate in the country could have lied about her education level.

Fresh details reveal that Liabule from Kakamega GK Women’s main prison is a graduate of Egerton University and had enrolled for a Master’s Degree when she was arrested and charged with killing her mother.

Early Learning and Basic Education Principal Secretary Jwani Julius said he would need to read the story first, understand it and consult the Ministry’s legal officer before committing on how to deal with the inmate.

Evidence from sources who know Jacobeth shows that she was a student at the university in 2009, where she was pursuing an Environmental Science degree.

Read also:

Concern as top student in Bomet school scores 137 marks in KCPE 2021

Magoha issues Form One selection rules For KCPE 2021 Candidates

How to download form one 2022 admission letter

List of National Schools In Kenya Per County

You Can Download KCPE 2021 Result Slip from Today-See Procedure

How to download KCPE 2021 Result Slip Online Using Your Mobile Phone

Call For 2022 Equity Bank Wings To Fly Scholarship Applications- Apply Now

High School Scholarship opportunities from 250 KCPE Marks

KNEC KCPE Standardization 2021: How Each KCPE 2021 Exam Was Standardized

Her admission number was N12/50100/09 as captured in the attachment logbook. She had earlier sat her KCSE in 2007 at Eregi girls secondary school where she performed well

Liabule who scored 402 marks had earlier misled the media at Kakamega Women’s Prison that she dropped from Eregi Girls’ High school in Form Three.

“It hit me so bad that she was saying she is a Form Three dropout, that was so unfortunate,” says Tabitha Indoshi her elder sister. “My kid sister graduated with an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science from Egerton University in 2013.”

Indoshi revealed that she never attended the graduation but most of her family members did and after Ms Liabule was done with the first degree, she enrolled for a second at Kenyatta University.

Kevin Salamba an alumni of the university says that he welcomed her (Liabule) at the university when she joined in 2009.

“I remember welcoming her as a fresher when I was in the Third Year, we were in the same primary school and I had to show her the ropes as a village mate lest she got misled,” he says. “She should learn to speak the truth about her education.”

Doreen Anabaka, the Kakamega Women’s Prison in-charge, says she was also taken aback by the revelation that Liabule was pursuing a Masters degree.

“Ours is not to investigate but just to keep the inmates in a good environment, rectify their behavior and produce them in court. Many give scanty information about their education age and everything,” she says.

“So, when she told us she wanted to learn we gave her the opportunity but it turns out she gave some misleading information.”