16 CITAM Woodley pupils stable after bee attack during Lake Baringo tour

Sixteen pupils from CITAM Woodley Primary School, Nairobi, are in stable condition after they were attacked by a swarm of bees during an educational tour to Lake Baringo in Baringo County, the Kenya Red Cross Society has confirmed.

The incident occurred on Friday, July 3, at Kambi Samaki Junction in Baringo North, where the learners were part of a school group comprising 174 pupils, eight teachers and five drivers visiting the area on an educational trip.

According to the Kenya Red Cross (KRC), 16 learners sustained bee stings, with five suffering severe injuries that required urgent medical attention.

Emergency responders from the humanitarian agency, working alongside national and county government officials, rushed to the scene and provided first aid, evacuated the injured learners to medical facilities and conducted search and tracing services to ensure all members of the school group were accounted for.

In a statement posted on its official X account, KRC said the emergency operation was successfully concluded later that evening after all affected pupils had been stabilised.

The bee attack triggered panic among pupils, teachers and support staff as they scrambled to escape the swarm.

Emergency teams coordinated the evacuation of the injured while confirming that every member of the school delegation had been traced and those requiring treatment had received medical care.

The incident is the latest in a series of bee attacks reported across the country in recent years.

In July 2023, 49 pupils at KARI D.E.B Primary School in Kisii County were hospitalised after being attacked by a swarm of bees, with 14 suffering severe allergic reactions.

More recently, in May this year, scores of pupils at Kanyariri Primary School in Kabete, Kiambu County, were injured in another bee attack that prompted emergency medical intervention.

The latest incident has once again raised concerns over safety during school trips and the need for preparedness to respond to wildlife-related emergencies involving learners.