The United States has advised its citizens to avoid Highway A104 in the Kambembe area of Rironi, Kiambu County, after an overturned truck caused a dangerous sodium cyanide spill on Saturday.
The shipment of sodium cyanide was en route to Congo from the Mombasa port.
The US embassy advises its citizens to take the Limuru road as a diversion, avoid Westlands (Waiyaki Way) and the Narok junction (B3), and monitor local media for updates on the safety of the affected area.
The Ministry of Health warned that sodium cyanide is highly toxic and can be fatal in small amounts if ingested or inhaled following the incident.
According to the MoH advisory, exposure symptoms include headache, dizziness, shortness of breath, nausea, and vomiting, with severe cases resulting in loss of consciousness and convulsions within minutes.
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Further, the Ministry stated that prolonged exposure can cause long-term health problems like neurological damage, thyroid dysfunction, and cardiovascular problems.
Kiambu County officials have appealed to Rironi residents who may have looted chemical jerricans from the accident site to return them immediately.
During a sensitization drive on Sunday in the villages of Kamandura and Rironi, officials from the Ministry of Health found a hidden chemical tank at a residential house.
Rironi area chief Charles Kariuki urged locals to return any containers taken without fear of repercussions, stressing the risks associated with handling sodium cyanide.
"If you carried any of the chemicals away, kindly know that it is very dangerous. Return it for your own safety; no one will face any consequences for returning the chemical," Kariuki told Citizen. Digital.
