A candidate in last year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary education (KCPE) from North Horr Sub-county in Marsabit County will not be joining high school following his death caused by a broken hand wound after relatives insisted on traditional treatment.
Umuro Molu Jillo’s death has raised questions as to why the local community continued to cling to customary treatment at this time when conventional medical services were available.
The Area Deputy County Commissioner (DCC), Jacob Kimey told KNA on telephone that the boy died at their Manyatta in North Horr village and was buried according to the local community’s culture.
Kimey however, regretted that the deceased, who scored 249 marks in the recently released KCPE examination, did not live too to pursue his desired career.
While calling on residents to embrace modern health care offered at government, mission or private medical facilities, the DCC said the real cause of the death was yet to be established.
“It is not known why conventional treatment was not sought though the father of the deceased is quite elderly at 85 year,” he said.
However, area Chief, Kushi Roba confirmed that the candidate actually died from a septic wound on Wednesday last week arising from a broken hand after a fall two weeks ago.
Kushi said that the family relied on treatment from a traditional healer which seemingly failed to work.
According to the DCC, reliable information points at misfortune with the family as Jillo was the fourth child in the household to die soon after class eight.
“The sad part of it is that he is the fourth child of the same family dying soon after class 8,” he said, adding, “One reportedly died before sitting for KCPE about two years ago.”
The incident has brought to the fore the dangers of continued reliance on herbal medicine by certain communities in Marsabit and the country in general which ends up risking lives.
By Sebastian Miriti
