In Mityana District, two male chefs from Golden Learning Centre Nursery and Primary School are currently in police custody. This comes after approximately 100 students were hospitalized due to what is suspected to be food poisoning.
The affected students began experiencing symptoms such as stomachaches, headaches, and vomiting shortly after consuming a meal of posho and beans on Wednesday afternoon. The incident occurred at around 2 pm, following the students’ participation in music, dance, and drama rehearsals in preparation for the school’s Speech Day event scheduled for November.
As the students’ health deteriorated, teachers and nearby residents used boda boda motorcycles to transport them to various health facilities, including Namungo Health Centre III, Koyada Medical Clinic, and MUKJ Medical Clinic.
Ms. Racheal Kawala, the Wamala Regional Police spokesperson, confirmed that the two cooks responsible for preparing the meal are in police custody to assist with ongoing investigations. Food samples from the school’s kitchen have been collected and sent to the government Analytical Laboratory in Kampala for forensic analysis.
Fortunately, most of the affected students were discharged on Wednesday evening, with approximately 50 still under medical observation at MUKJ Medical Clinic but in stable condition. Ms. Kawala noted that there have been no reported fatalities at this time.
It’s important to note that this is not the first incident of food poisoning in the country this year. Similar cases have occurred in different regions, leading to hospitalizations and investigations into food safety.
