MARSABIT — A severe shortage of effective antivenom and emergency medicines across Marsabit County has sparked widespread outrage following the tragic deaths of two children within a single week.
The latest victim, 16-year-old Grade Eight pupil Barako Adano Barile, was bitten by a snake on Friday, August 21, while herding his father’s livestock in Saru Location, Dukana Sub-County.
Speaking to journalists, his headteacher, Mr. Mamo George, confirmed that Barako died early Monday morning at his home in Gonye after failing to receive adequate medical assistance at Bales Saru Health Centre. Bales Saru Location Chief Godana Gollo and Sabarei Police officers corroborated the account.
Barako’s death comes just days after an eight-year-old boy succumbed to a puff adder bite in Boruharo village, Marsabit Central. Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Senior Assistant Director for North Eastern Bakari Chongwa said the young boy was playing at his family homestead when the venomous snake struck, causing his condition to deteriorate rapidly.
The back-to-back fatalities have exposed critical vulnerabilities in the region’s healthcare system, particularly in pastoralist zones where residents face high exposure to snakes and endure long journeys to reach medical care.
Speaking on the broader crisis, Marsabit County Assembly Health Committee Chairperson Madam Hadhi Mohammed launched a sharp rebuke against health authorities and the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) over the procurement of ineffective treatments.
“It is very sad that this county had been stocking a generic antivenom which was not working. KEMSA has let us down. It’s a shame,” Mohammed told reporters.
Mohammed emphasized that PANAF Premium Antivenom is the World Health Organization-recommended treatment, questioning why non-viable alternatives were distributed instead. She warned that the crisis is even more acute in remote facilities across North Horr Sub-County, where even basic generic drugs and emergency supplies are entirely exhausted.
Describing the systemic failure as a “serious omission and a medico-legal issue,” Mohammed cautioned that the lack of life-saving medicine leaves the county vulnerable to legal action over avoidable deaths.
She called for immediate intervention from KEMSA and county health executive leadership to restock rural clinics, resolve supply chain bottlenecks, and ensure functional antivenoms are available before more lives are lost.
