This archive report was first published on 3 October 2019.
On October 1, 2019, Starehe Girls Centre in Nairobi took the drastic measure of sending home its students after 52 of them were isolated and placed under observation due to a strange illness.
The school's director, Sister Jane Soita, initially downplayed the condition, describing it as 'minor' and stating that test results from the affected students were expected on the same day.
However, the symptoms exhibited by the affected girls were more severe than initially thought, including a high-pitched cough, sneezing, and a low-grade fever.
The school has since been shut indefinitely, leaving the fate of the students and staff uncertain.