News
Obama brother may have cholera
Malik Obama, stepbrother to U.S. President Barrack Obama. he is receiving treatment at the Siaya District Hospital after suffering from diarrhoea. Photo/FILE
Posted Wednesday, March 25 2009 at 21:55
A step-brother of US President Barrack Obama is in hospital with a suspected case of cholera.
Mr Malik Abong’o Obama was taken to Siaya District Hospital in Kenya's Nyanza province suffering from diarrhoea.
According to a doctor at the hospital who spoke to the Nation on condition of anonymity, it would take up to 18 hours to get the results of laboratory tests, and until then a cholera infection could not be ruled out.
But the Siaya District Medical Superintendent Jackton Omoto downplayed the matter, saying that Mr Abong’o was admitted to the hospital with ordinary diarrhoea. “People should not speculate on the matter since his case is a simple diarrhoea case like any other,” he said.
According to Dr Omoto, Mr Abong’o was taken to the hospital by police officers attached to their Nyang’oma Kogelo home in Siaya District after he complained of diarrhoea at midday on Wednesday.
When contacted on phone, Mr Abong’o declined to comment on his illness. He said he was not been pleased by the coverage his family had been getting from the local press.
His hospital admission comes almost a week after his farm worker, Daniel Namai, was admitted to hospital with cholera.
Mr Namai was discharged towards the end of last week, with doctors confirming that he had been diagnosed with cholera and successfully treated.
Mr Abong’o is one of the closest to the US president from the Kenyan branch of the Obama family. He was part of the family delegation to Barack Obama’s inauguration as US President in January.
Various hospitals
He also represented the family at the wedding of Barack and Michelle Obama in 1992 ad was one of the groomsmen.
If his case is confirmed, it will bring to 15, the number of people in the area admitted to various hospitals with cholera or related illnesses.
Dr Omoto added that this month alone, cholera cases have been reported in Malele Village, Kogelo Village in Karemo Division and Kamuok in Wagai Division in Siaya.
Siaya district diseases surveillance officer James Sande last week said that since the beginning of the month, a total of 14 cases have been reported in both Siaya and the neighbouring Ugenya district, which was recently hived off Siaya.
Ambira sub-district hospital in Ugenya district has reported five cases, with four confirmed, Nyathengo health centre has reported two cases and Siaya district hospital has reported seven cases, said Mr Sande.
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Submitted by dovempolePosted March 28, 2009 01:24 AM
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Submitted by omicahnoirere
shame shame bwana.If you have no news to write about, just chill dude.
Posted March 27, 2009 07:12 PM -
Submitted by zdwm14
I actually registered so that I can comment on on this news. Shame Shame on whoever reported this!!.Dont we have better news to report? why was this important? take this idiot who reported this back to school.
Posted March 27, 2009 07:06 PM -
Submitted by kachubari
Mr (sic) Sj502, on this platform, I back u 100 per cent. The Kenyan media has no decorum, professionalism and ethics and eschewed to paint an negative picture about their soil, as to whose benefit,i wonder bitterly.
Posted March 27, 2009 01:03 PM -
Submitted by nani_ngombe
Wanjiku98: Like most bloggers here, you also missed the bigger picture! Shame! My visit in Siaya was part of a very basic private investigation on 'misdiagnosis of typhoid as malaria in Kenyan towns'. Siaya was unique because it is a high Malaria Zone too. I won't tell you the results but Nairobi was equally nasty! Salmonella is hanging out everywhere. In fact there are all sorts of 'quack' clinics inside town whose lifeline is testing for Malaria and typhoid. These are preventable diseases...well if your tap runs for seven days!
Posted March 27, 2009 12:46 PM
RSS
Bravo, this is great news! And I think that days of hiding our shame are over. This is the reason as to why we are losing the fight against hunger, HIV/AIDS, and other diseases. Image or no image, it is a fact that people are really suffering and it is only by bringing this shame out that we compel the government and other actors to act! Nation feel free to bring out the plight of the people!