FOUR PEOPLE ARRESTED OVER ALLEGED FOOD POISONING IN KOLE DISTRICT

Patrick Jimmy Okema, the North Kyoga Regional police spokesperson in a press briefing at Lira CPS.

Ambrose Okai

Kole

Police in Kole District have arrested a herbalist and three other community members to help in the ongoing investigation into the alleged food poisoning that left one person and 13 other people admitted to a health facility in Lira City.

The suspects currently being detained at Kole Central Police Station are Nixon Ocen, a herbalist, and his wife Milly Ayo. Others Nelson Okwir who borrowed the duck and wife Millo Apio.

The arrest followed death of Kenneth Omara, a resident of in Te-amaga cell, Akalo -town council after he reportedly ate the chicken that had perished after eating the intestines of a suspected poisoned duck.

It was alleged that on the September 7, 2024, a duck of Tunya Alfred died after it was borrowed by Ocen Nixon to mate his female duck but it is alleged that the duck was later poisoned by an unknown person.

Patrick Jimmy Okema, the North Kyoga Regional police spokesperson said this duck, which died, was suspected to have been a poison. "The intestine was dumped and was eaten by about 27 chickens, which all later died. Again these dead chickens were eaten by the community members around and the next day they started developing stomach complications,’’Okema said.

Okema adds that, "Now instead of rushing these victims to the hospital, they opted to go for a traditional herbalist who administered them, they vomited. Unfortunately one person identified as Omara Kenneth died.’’

Meanwhile, the 21 people who were previously admitted at Gift life clinic in Lira city have been discharged after their condition improved.

Ivan Otede, one of the alleged food poisoning victims said when he ate the food, he immediately developed stomach pain and that the condition worsened after a local herbalist persuaded them that he can cure them using wild medicine.

However, Dr Richard Nam, the private medical practitioner at Highway Clinic in Lira City said the effect of food poisoning is that after eating suspected poison, one starts experiencing vomiting, and getting pain in the abdomen then you start passing out diarrhea at the same time among others."Sometimes you vomit to the point of even collapsing. So I would advise that if you suspect somebody has poisoned you, rush to the hospital. The medical people will be there to help you. Do not start the treatment from the traditional herbalist,’’ Dr Nam advised.