Abstract:
Jigger infestation is still posing a major threat among public day secondary school-going students of Bumula
Sub-County. Jigger infestation causes pain, discomfort, and severe cases of disabilities to students, thus denying
them the opportunity to go to school. The study sought to determine the extent of jigger infestation among
school-going students in public day Secondary schools of Bumula Sub-County, Bungoma County, Kenya. The
study used Ecological Systems theory and adopted a mixed-method research design. The study targeted 10,000
students between 15-20 years from public day secondary schools. A sample of 370 students was obtained from
the study of the target population using Krejcie and Morgan's 1970 formulae. The study purposively sampled 20
Key informants including community health promoters, head teachers, and local Chiefs to participate in the
study. The study employed primary data which was collected using structured questionnaires and interviews.
Secondary data was collected by studying the progress records, attendance registers, and end-term report
forms. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 27 to determine the findings of the study. Data was presented in
frequencies, graphs, tables, and charts. The study results revealed that there are high cases of jigger infestation
among students in schools, with 88% of the respondents indicating they know someone with jigger infestation in
their school. The study recommended that schools establish and strengthen health clinics and conduct regular
check-ups on students to identify and address the issue. Schools to further collaborate with communities to
maintain clean surroundings and engage parents and community leaders through health campaigns to ensure a
holistic approach to preventing jigger infestation. Should these findings be adopted by relevant stakeholders,
they will inform policymakers, teachers, parents, and the community in managing and mitigating jigger
infestation in public secondary schools.
