Kole, (UG):- The territorial 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 dozens of 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 include Nelson Okwir who borrowed the duck and his wife Millo Apio.
The arrest followed the death of Kenneth Omara, a resident of Te-amaga cell, Akalo -town council after he reportedly ate the chicken that had perished after eating the intestines of a suspected poisoned duck.
Preliminary reports allege that on Saturday, 7th of September 2024, a duck of one Tunya Alfred died after it was borrowed by Ocen Nixson to mate his female duck but it was later discovered that the duck had been poisoned by an unknown person.
“The intestine was dumped and was eaten by about 27 chickens, which all later died. Again these dead chickens were again eaten by the community members around and the next day they started developing a stomach complication,” Patrick Jimmy Okema, the North Kyoga Regional police spokesperson said.
He added; “Now instead of rushing these victims to the hospital, they opted to go for a traditional herbalist who administered them, and 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 could 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 pain in the abdomen then one starts passing out diarrhoea 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 said.
Food poisoning, a type of foodborne illness, is a sickness people get from something they ate or drank. The causes are germs or other harmful things in the food or beverage.
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