Writes Leo Odera Omolo
TWENTY Kenya were strike dead by lightening at different locations and districts within last week alone.
Experts maintain that this is the highest figure ever reported in the country’s history of natural calamities ever since 1960/1961.
On Sunday, he residents of Minjeiwa village in Keiyo South district in Elgeyo/ Marakwet County within the North Rift gave a tearful send off a 46 year-old mother and her seven children.
The entire family of eight was wiped out plus their two sheep when the thunderbolt struck their grass thatched house last Saturday evening as they assembled waiting to be served with the evening meals.
All the eight were burnt beyond recognition, while utensils were strewn all over the compound. The only living things were chickens. All the eight victims of catastrophic death were buried in mass grave.
A neighbor who heard the deafening blast rushed to the compound and saw the house on fire. When he peeped his eyes through a window, he saw the bodies were on fire.
Alice Chemurgor, a 46 year old, was living alone with her seven children after separating from her husband a couple of years ago. The husband did not attend the funeral. And in according to the Kalenjin customs people killed in search tragedies are buried immediately after which a cultural cleansing ritual will be performed by the elders from both families of the failed marriage.
Last Friday, three pupils at Toku Primary School, South Kanyajuok in Kamagambo South Location, Rongo district in Migori County were also struck dead by lightning. The thunderbolt injured more than 30 other pupils when it strike heir classroom during the late afternoon down pour. The injured were rushed to Rongo sub-district Hospital and to other medical institution within the nearby districts where most of them were treated for burns and discharged.
The Rongo MP who is also Kenya’s Minister for Public Service, Dalmas Otieno, visited the school lat Saturday and consoled the bereaved families. The Minister and the residents of the area later conducted an impromptu Harambee fund drive and raised money for the assistance of the bereaved and the injured pupils families to secure medical treatment.
Las Sunday afternoon at abut 6.30 pm lightning strikes once again and killed a man. Mzee Obura and his son was taking shelter in a house at Pala, in Pala Division, Ndhiwa district, in the County of Homa-Bay when the tragedy occurred. His body has since been taken to Homa-Bay district hospital morgue. His son received treatment at Ndhiwa sub-district Hospital.
Also killed in the previous week were three pupils of a primary School in Nyamira district within the Gusii County, and one pupil died in Trans-Mara East district when he was strike by the thunderbolt as he walked home from school during dressings.
In Silibwet in Kirinyaga district, a school girl was last Sunday struck dead and he companion seriously hurt while they were walking home after attending church service.
Other incidents involving lightning death have been reported in Trans-Nzoia, Mt.Elgon, Baringo, Bomet, Trans-Mara, Gucha, Kisii, Nyamira, Rongo, Homa-Bay, Bungoma, Kakamega, Molo, Kericho,Bomet, Bureti,Keiyo, Marakwet and other areas which are located on the highlands west of the Rift Valley and areas close to the Equator. It is also common within the locations and villages neighboring Lake Victoria. But Kenya still comes third after Zimbabwe and Zambia. The highest incidents recorded in 1984/85 were 166 people struck dead in Zimbawe. During the same period more than 220 died in Zambia while Kenya lost 186 lives during the same period under review.
Incidents of lightning tragedy usual occurred during the beginning of the short rains I the month of August and September, and also at the beginning of long rains which comes between April and July.
EndsKenya: