A day after a teacher at Sacred Heart Mukumu Girls’ School died, raising the death toll to four, Kenyans have expressed their sentiments about the bizarre gastrointestinal illness linking it to demonic spirits.
According to family members, Juliana Mujema, who was also the boarding mistress at the school developed symptoms similar to the three students who died within a week.
“It started with damaged liver and kidney; then the two organs failed and later multiple organ failure,” an anonymous source revealed.
Reacting to news of her death, former parents and students disclosed that many girls would complain of strange occurrences at the school, which the school management brushed off as overt superstition.
“When my sister was a first-form student at Mukumu, she complained of ghosts and later refused to report back; as a result, she had to be transferred to another school.” Recalled Jessy.
Her sentiments were echoed by Kagesh who said, “The school has a problem that needs more than prayers.”
Others who linked the sudden plague of illness and deaths to evil spirits urged parents to seek divine intervention. “Parents please talk to your children in boarding schools to be very prayerful.” Advised Luhembo.
The School was closed down indefinitely on April 3, and students sent home to pave way for a probe into the root cause of the killer infection.
Last week, the Ministry of Health linked the gut disease outbreak to water contamination at the school causing typhoid, fever, and amebiasis.
The late Mujema is survived by a husband and two children.
Last year in July 2022, five educational officials were dispatched to the school by the then CS for Education, George Magoha to probe the mysterious death of two students.