Three die of cholera at Shimo La Tewa, 30 others being treated

What you need to know:

  • According to the Mombasa County Health Executive Binti Omar, the remandees started showing symptoms of the disease while at the prison. 
  • The Mombasa County Public Health Officer, Dr Swaleh Chidagaya, said: “We will clean the cells and courts. We are not taking anything to chance”.
  • Dr Mary Ochola from the Coast General Hospital said the hospital had taken the necessary hygiene precautions such as cleaning using disinfectants, to ensure the disease does not spread.  

Three remand inmates have died of cholera while 30 others have been isolated at the Shimo La Tewa Maximum Security Prison after an outbreak at the institution.

Coast Region Prison Commander James Kodieny said those suspected to have contracted the disease had been put on treatment. 

“Cholera is so contagious so we can’t take them to the hospital. We are dealing with them locally,” he said yesterday, a day after the three died. “The situation has been put under control after the county government intervened and gave us medication.”

He suspected the disease was introduced in the prison by remandees who were taken there recently. 

Mr Kodieny said families of the two had been informed.

According to the Mombasa County Health Executive Binti Omar, the remandees started showing symptoms of the disease while at the prison. 

“They were rushed at the Coast General and Referral Hospital but succumbed,” she said. “It has been confirmed they died from cholera.”

The bodies of Hamisi Guzo Samba and Eric Omondi Odhiambo were taken to the Coast General Mortuary.

Samba was facing a defilement case while Omondi was charged with theft. The third victim could not be identified because his family had not been informed about the death by yesterday. However, an official said that the unnamed man died at the prison dispensary.

“If the family members suspect foul play they can conduct a post-mortem. It is the only way to ascertain the cause of death,” he said.

He also revealed that there have been cases of acute diarrhoea at the prison. 

“Remandees interact with many people. We suspect they contracted the disease from the courts or outside this facility because those are the only public places they frequent,” he said. 

The Mombasa County Public Health Officer, Dr Swaleh Chidagaya, said: “We will clean the cells and courts. We are not taking anything to chance”.

According to him, none of the inmates who are serving their sentences has been infected.

Four patients were admitted to the isolation ward at the Coast General and Referral Hospital while two others were at Mwembe Tayari health centre. 
“They are all suffering from acute diarrhoea,” said Dr Chidagaya. 

Dr Mary Ochola from the Coast General Hospital said the hospital had taken the necessary hygiene precautions such as cleaning using disinfectants, to ensure the disease does not spread.  

“Once we receive the patients we take the necessary investigations, stabilise them then we refer them to Mwembe Tayari clinic,” she said.

Since the outbreak was first reported, the hospital has handled 79 patients.

Yesterday, the head of the Division of Disease Surveillance and Response, Dr Ian Njeru, said he had been briefed about the six confirmed cholera cases at the prison but not about the deaths.

“All the inmates have been given a prophylaxis, that is, an antibiotic to prevent them from contracting the bacterial infection. This is because of their confinement as they are at high risk as well,” he told the Nation.

Additional reporting by Eunice Kilonzo