Child dies after eating poisonous cassava from Tanzania

Four-year-old Martin Aoloi from Apapa village, Olok Sub County in Pallisa district on Sunday died while others were admitted after eating suspected poisonous cassava imported from Tanzania.

Sam Omaido who helped to ferry the victims to Pallisa Hospital said 64 people were admitted after they started vomiting.

Solomon Omudu the father of the deceased said his son and seven other family members were among the victims who ate food prepared for mourners at Bisaleri Okonye's home. Okonye had lost his grandson.

"I'm bitter because from over 130 people who ate food only my son has died and the rest have recovered in the various facilities they were dispatched to" Omudu stated.

Enoch Omaido one of the victims said they picked money from the condolence table and rushed to Pallisa town where they bought 100kg of cassava from Peter Olupot's store for the mourners.

Godffrey Ekisa the senior hospital administrator said the victims were taken to Pallisa Hospital at midnight and he mobilized other staff that was not on duty to save the situation.

Ekisa said if Aoloi hadn't been given pounded orange leaves to drink, his life could have been saved.

"Last week 18 family members from Kisenyi  in Pallisa town council were rushed here but we managed to rescue them with ease, we also handled all these cases well as 28, 17 and 19 people were admitted to female, paediatric and male wards respectively " Ekisa said.

However, Olupot the owner of the store said the cassava was imported from Tanzania and was delivered by a truck which distributed it to numerous trading centres in Pallisa.

Olupot said he is the parish councillor of Apapa and could not intend to have his people poisoned saying his own family members were victims.

"I bought only 1,058kgs and only sold 200kg before this case was reported and this is going to make me lose 1,058,000/= as I sell a kilogram at 1,000/=", he said.

Sadiq Bategana the deputy resident district commissioner for Pallisa instructed Olupot to immediately close his store.

He said government should find a way of ensuring that the food imported from other countries is safe.