Nairobi — Twenty two people have been admitted to two health centres in Hola suffering from cholera-related diseases. Most of the patients were from five villages in a remote part of Tana River District. Ten are in an isolation ward at Bura sub-district hospital.

Tana River medical superintendent Meme Muriuki yesterday said doctors were yet to confirm whether the patients were suffering from cholera or dysentery, but a team from disease surveillance in Nairobi was monitoring the situation.

"The disease is more likely to be cholera, but I cannot confirm or deny till the results of the samples taken on test are released," Dr Muriuki said.

Public health officers have been sent to the most affected areas of Subukia, Hakoka, Gururi, Chifiri and Madogo to provide chlorine to prevent further spread of the disease. He urged wananchi in the affected areas to boil their drinking water.

In Baringo East, 11 bodies of people suspected to have died of cholera have been found as the government dispatched medical officers to the area.

Internal Security permanent secretary Francis Kimemia said doctors from Kenyatta National Hospital and senior officers from the Office of the President were dispatched to Kainuk to combat the disease.

Mr Kimemia spoke at the Kenya Institute of Administration as the Kenya Red Cross Society revealed that seven bodies were collected on Monday in Kapnyung'uny area along River Suguta, in the Suguta Valley. Four more bodies were found yesterday by the Red Cross team.

In a press statement released on Tuesday, the Red Cross said the bodies were collected along migration paths.

"The bodies are believed to belong to people who were fleeing the area when cases of cholera were reported," said the statement signed by secretary-general Abbas Gullet.

According to Kenya Red Cross, 26 people have died of cholera and 32 patients are admitted to hospitals in the area.

Area MP Asman Kamama on Tuesday asked the government to send more health officers to the area to contain the disease, which he said was spreading fast.

"In the next two days, all Pokots in this area will be wiped out if more doctors are not sent here," said the MP who is also the assistant minister for Higher Education.

According to him, most of those who had died were young men who were trailing livestock suspected to have been stolen by raiders from neighbouring Turkana South District.

"Several others are in the bush... we don't know their fate" he said.

Chemalingot District Hospital superintendent Joel Samali said the 26 patients had died from the disease after drinking contaminated water.

He asked those with cholera symptoms to seek medical attention immediately.

The doctor also urged wananchi in the area to observe hygiene to prevent further spread of the disease.

Turkana Red Cross Society coordinator Edung Ethuro said 15 people in the area had died of cholera in the past one month and that 69 had been admitted to hospital. Some 574 people had been treated and discharged.

"The most affected villages in Turkana East District are Elelea, Kaaruko, Lopeduru, Lokorkor, Kaibole, Lomunyenakwan, Kidewa, and Echwa Kakolngatuny," he said.