Nakuru — A child who had been hospitalised at the Molo Sub-County Hospital after eating chameleons has been discharged Monday.
The child was allegedly taken ill after eating chameleon soup and potatoes at her home in Sirikwa area of Kuresoi North.
This happened on Wednesday last week as her mother, Joyce Chepngetich was away doing menial jobs on people's farms to fend for her children.
Speaking at the the hospital, the mother said her children had not fed for two days preceding the incident adding that her children could have resolved to eat chameleons due to hunger.
"Their elder brother aged seven made the chameleon and potato soup for his siblings after realising that I was taking longer that usual," she said.
Chepngetich said the elder boy swallowed wood-ash solution after taking the chameleon soup which could have saved him from the effects.
"My son induced vomiting buy ingesting wood-ash solution which saved him from the pangs of the poisonous meal," she said.
Chepngetich's sister-in-law, Janet Keter said they immediately took the child aged two and her sister aged four to Nyakinyua Dispensary for treatment but were referred to the Sub-County Hospital.
"Instead of taking them to the bigger hospital, my sister-in-law chose to also give the girls wood-ash solution to neutralise the poison because she did not have money," she said.
They were later taken to Molo Sub-County Hospital on Saturday, more than two days after consuming the reptiles.
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One was treated while the youngest one was admitted for further monitoring.
The two girls have been in hospital because the four year old could not be released alone.
While discharging the girl, Medical Superintendent in charge of Molo Sub-County Hospital, Bernard Warui said the children were vomiting, diarrhearing and had abdominal pains.
He added that the children were starved because they had not fed on anything after ingesting the poisonous meal.
Nakuru Governor, Susan Kihika paid for their medical charges and bought them food stuff sufficient to last them three months.
She also bought four beds, beddings and clothing's for the for the needy family.
Kihika offered the mother of nine a job in the County Government's department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The family will be placed in a rental house paid for by the governor pending the construction of a permanent building for their settlement.
