US warns citizens against using section of Kenyan highway after toxic sodium cyanide spill

The incident on Saturday raised safety concerns due to the chemical's extreme toxicity.

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.

In a statement issued Saturday following the truck accident, the Ministry of Health warned that sodium cyanide is highly toxic and can be fatal in small amounts if ingested or inhaled.

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.

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 tank of the chemical at a residential house.

Locals were urged to return any containers taken without fear of repercussions by Rironi area chief Charles Kariuki, who stressed 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.

The shipment of sodium cyanide, en route to Congo from the Mombasa port, poses significant environmental hazards as well. 

According to the MoH, the chemical can devastate aquatic ecosystems, causing extensive fish kills and long-term damage if it enters waterways. 

Although sodium cyanide degrades over time, its immediate impact is severe, necessitating urgent response measures.

Sodium cyanide is widely used in industrial processes, including gold mining, chemical production, electroplating, organic synthesis for pharmaceuticals, and metal cleaning.