By Kabaraji Richard
Khalegwe, a little-known village in Trans Nzoia County is in dire need as most of its locals have been affected by jiggers. This has hindered their day-to-day activities.
The situation is so dire that half of the school-going children in the village do not attend classes due to the infection.
When we visited the village, we came across Gladys Nekesa, a grade four pupil at a nearby school sitting quietly at her grandmother’s house chasing flies from her legs and hands that are heavily infested by the insects rendering her immobile.
“I did not complete all my papers during the last exams as the insects kept on biting me and it was very uncomfortable sitting in the class,” Nekesa narrates.
The young girl further reveals that it is rare for the class to have more than twelve children due to the infestation. Subsequently, the village is ranked among those with a high number of school dropouts reported.
“Only a handful of us brave the pain and go to school as the wounds are so painful, especially during the early morning dew given we usually walk barefooted.”
Extreme poverty worsened the situation
Her sentiments are shared by Isaac Juma who is also affected by the menace. Juma admits the situation has affected his work.
“I was working in the ADC farms as a casual labourer but after infestation, I had to leave my work and now I can’t move as the insects have immobilized me,” he said.
The situation has been compounded by extreme poverty as the area is a rural slum with a high rate of alcoholism and crime rate.
Area village elder Juma Kisogochi says poverty levels add to the dire situation with most locals lacking basic amenities like latrines and hygienic points.
“You see our village is populated with most locals living in small plots thus hygiene being one of the major issues leading to the increase in jigger infestation,” says Kisongochi.
Solomon Kisogochi, a community health promoter working in the area warns that the situation is so dire that if action is not taken, deaths might be witnessed.
“Most of the victims are poor and hence cannot access medical facilities leaving some of them lame due to the infestation,” notes the Community Health Promoter.
Gloria Wakasa, a Health Care Provider in the area has now challenged the Trans Nzoia County Government to move with speed and arrest the situation.
“Let those concerned work with speed and map out the victims so that they can get the healthcare that they urgently need,” says Wakasa.
Journalists provide medicine and food to those infested with jiggers
It is due to the situation that a section of Trans Nzoia journalists under the Kitale Press Welfare visited over 100 families in the village.
The journalists provided the victims with medicine and food in a bid to contain the situation.
“Apart from our cardinal duty of informing the public, we have also come up with this program to give back to our audiences,” explained Caren Lumbasi, the group vice chair.
“This is why we came with medicine and foodstuffs to help those infested with the jiggers and give them meaning in life,” she added.
The group of journalists has however urged leaders – both religious and political – to set up a kitty that will be used to help the locals whom they say are in dire need of aid.
“Let them come up with ways of helping the locals and save this village that has been enslaved with jiggers,” Lumbasi noted.
