MoH orders strict hygiene as dozens of students at St Thomas Aquinas suffer food poisoning » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 10 – The Ministry of Health has directed schools to strict adherence to the Kenya School Meals, Food Safety, and Quality Guidelines following the suspected food poisoning at St. Thomas Aquinas Igumori Secondary School in Embu.

In a statement on Monday, Principal Secretary for Health Mary Muthoni directed school heads to implement proper hygiene and sanitation practices in all food handling areas and to enforce robust food safety protocols to ensure a clean, safe, and hygienic learning environment.

The Ministry of Health also urged food operators to ensure the safety and quality of all food products supplied to schools.

“Furthermore, the general public is hereby informed that this incident underscores the critical importance of adhering to strict food safety protocols throughout the entire food chain,” said Muthoni.

Additionally, the ministry called on health facilities to maintain high levels of preparedness to respond effectively to foodborne illnesses and outbreaks.

MoH asked public health officials responsible for school sanitation to intensify food inspections and enforce regulations under the Food, Drugs, and Chemical Substances Act (Cap 254) and the Public Health Act (Cap 242) of the Laws of Kenya.

The directive follows the hospitalization of sixty-eight students from St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School after a suspected food poisoning incident.

Reports indicate that the affected students experienced diarrhea, vomiting, and severe stomach pains after consuming a common meal at the school.

Preliminary findings suggest that the students may have consumed contaminated beef.