Did someone poison 100 cows in Kisumu?

Some of the dead cattle in Nyakach yesterday.

Photo credit: Pool.

Public health officials have issued a warning to Kisumu residents to be on the lookout for contaminated meat following the deaths of hundreds of cattle under mysterious circumstances in Nyakach sub-county.

Farmers in Wasare village, Nyakach North, said they had lost 102 cattle on Tuesday night.

The villagers, who claimed the cattle had appeared healthy the previous evening, woke up to the sight of dead animals and sickly ones.

“We are appealing to all residents to stay alert and refrain from buying meat without establishing its source,” said Agriculture, Irrigation, Livestock and Fisheries executive Gilchrist Okuom.

The number of dead animals, he said, might increase because some were still lying weak.

“We are currently administering drugs to those that are also showing signs of illness to ensure no more animals are lost,” he said.

Fed on poisoned grass

Nyakach sub-county Police Commander Daniel Chacha said before the deaths, some of the animals were fed on grass in the River Nyando wetland, as alleged by their owners.

“We received a report from one of the villagers earlier today that he had lost five animals under unclear circumstances while a few others appeared sickly,” Mr Chacha said.

After visiting the scene, the officers established that more families had also been affected by the deaths.

“We have visited over seven families but we believe that more could have been affected,” said Mr Chacha.

Mr Okuom said several animals had signs of bloating before collapsing and dying, prompting them to suspect poisoning.

“We appealed to the veterinary laboratory officials in Kericho County, who have sent their staff and are on the way to diagnose the cause of the massive deaths,” he said.

Meanwhile, the public health team was also working on ways to dispose of the carcasses.

“We are appealing to members of the public to stay calm as we wait for the laboratory results,” Mr Okuom added.