Dennis Lumiti
24 August 2004
Nairobi — The Government yesterday put residents of Mt Elgon District and other parts of Western Province on high alert after emission of smoke and gases intensified in a cave on Mt Elgon.
The move caused a major panic among the residents over a possible volcanic eruption.
The locals were further warned against taking rain water as it may contain poisonous substances from the emissions.
The Provincial Commissioner Hassan Noor Hassan said the Government was assessing the possibility of evacuating the residents particularly those living on a 5km sq radius from the Kipsio cave situated at Namorio location of Kapsokwony division.
Experts have taken three samples of ash which has been settling around the cave since the emission of gases started two weeks ago.
The provincial geologist Moses Masibo said the samples of the ash, which is soft in nature, had been sent to their head office in Nairobi and the National Disaster Centre to ascertain whether they contained any toxic substances.
Masibo explained that the emission of the gases, which have a pungent smell, had intensified, and he and local DC James ole Seriani were forced to leave in a rush when they toured the area on Friday.
The expert said there was a likelihood that water, particularly from the rain, had mixed with the ash and it would be dangerous for the residents to consume it before results of the samples were released.
The PC and Masibo were addressing members of the region's disaster management committee and the Press at the provincial headquarters boardroom in Kakamega town.
Some of the committee members included the provincial medical officer Dr Olang'o Onudi, provincial home economist in the Agriculture ministry Pamellah Mahila and the criminal investigations boss Mohammed Amin.
Hassan said all government departments working in collaboration with their head offices were keeping a close eye on the situation.
He added that Seriani had been instructed to seal off the cave area.
Masibo said even before they can wait for a volcanic eruption, there are dangers of the residents developing respiratory diseases and other ailments due to the emissions which.
He asked the Ministry of Health to address the matter urgently.
"When the DC and I went inside the cave, we developed sore throats," said the geologist.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2004 The East African Standard. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
