By Wanja Waweru
After ingesting what is believed to be dangerous wild mushrooms on Tuesday evening, seven children from Haji Farm in Subukia, Nakuru County, have been hospitalized to the Bahati Sub-County Hospital.
According to reports, the seven who are currently stable foraged mushrooms from the farm as usual after school, and after eating they had nausea and vomiting.
According to the father of the seven Fredrick Kamau, mushrooms have been their daily meal after poor harvest in the last season.
“This is what we normally consume, we do not have food and sometimes children bring that and we cook, it is sad that it has affected them in this way,” said Kamau.
Kamau said he suspects the mushroom might have been poisonous, adding that it is hard to differentiate between the harmful and the edible ones.
“They are now fine, they were vomiting, and it became worse. We had to take them to a dispensary before being transferred to Bahati,” he said.
One of the kids, Kevin Waweru, claimed that before they were taken to the hospital, they started throwing up.
While confirming the occurrence, Bahati Sub-County Hospital matron Lucy Kinanu stated that the kids are now stable and would soon be released.
According to Kinanu, plucking any species of mushroom in the woods without first properly identifying it can leave one severely unwell and even put one’s life in danger.]
“Cooking or boiling wild mushrooms does not make them safe to eat, always consult experts,” said Kinanu.
