Gem Member of Parliament Elisha Ochieng Odhiambo has urged the government and health research institutions to conduct a thorough scientific investigation into what he terms a worrying increase in cases of sudden cardiac deaths across the country.
Speaking during fundraisers at St. Kizito Mutumbu and St. Teresa Yala Catholic Churches, Odhiambo said many families had reported incidents of relatives collapsing and dying unexpectedly in recent years, prompting the need for a detailed national study on possible causes.
While addressing congregants, the legislator noted that some citizens had raised questions about whether various health and lifestyle factors—including the long-term effects of the Covid-19 pandemic—may be linked to the rise in such cases. He emphasized, however, that only medical experts and research institutions can provide verified answers.
“We need KEMRI and the broader medical fraternity to step in and help the country understand what is happening,” Odhiambo said. “Let professionals study the trend so that Kenyans can have clarity and peace of mind.”
His remarks come amid growing public concern over lifestyle diseases and heart-related fatalities, which health authorities have previously linked to factors such as hypertension, stress, poor diet, and limited medical checkups.
Odhiambo was accompanied by Yala Town MCA William Kinyanyi and Father Clement Oluoch during the church events, where he also conveyed condolences to the family of Festus Amimo, who collapsed and died on December 7.
