By Isaiah Lucheli and George Olwenya

Cholera has claimed a family of four in Turkana Central District and one person in Siaya following fresh outbreak.

Bodies of a couple and their two children were found scattered near their home in Nasiger village after they died of diarrhoea.

The family members died after they failed to get transport to the Lodwar District Hospital, 30km away. Neighbours discovered the bodies yesterday morning.

The Turkana Central Medical Officer of Health Gilchrist Lokoel said the Government had deployed medical personnel to the village.

"According to tests that we conducted after the incident it was established that the family had died of cholera. Already we have attended to more than 50 people from that village," he said.

The Turkana County Council chairman Eliud Kerio accused the Government of laxity in combating the disease, which he said had claimed more than 25 lives since its outbreak.

"There is an acute shortage of drugs and medical personnel, which is to blame for the increasing death cases. The Government should address this issue urgently to save lives," said Mr Kerio. He said perennial shortage of clean water is to blame for the outbreak and appealed to the public health officials to educate residents on hygiene and proper waste disposal.

Mr Lokoel said shortage of staff, drugs and sanitary facilities was a major hurdle in combating the disease but added the Government was addressing the issue. Following the outbreak of the disease last month more than 20 people have succumbed to the disease, 219 admitted in various hospitals while more than 1,000 were treated and discharged.

Local MP Ekwe Ethuro claimed medical staff had been withdrawn due to lack of allowances, leading to an upsurge of the disease.

But Lokoel refuted the claims and said some medical staff had been withdrawn from some of the treatment centres due to the decreasing cases of the disease.

The outbreak was first reported in Kalokol and Lengech on the shores of Lake Turkana, but has steadily been spreading.

In Siaya, one person died of cholera while more than 25 were diagnosed with the disease in various parts of district.

District Public Health Officer Joyce Kenyanya said cholera cases in the area have been on the increase for the past one month. Among the worst hit areas include Karemo Division, Kogelo and Wagai.

Health officials, who have since moved to the ground, said they suspected the source of the cholera was a river flowing through the affected areas.