Public health workers' lobby on Monday said that the lack of enough medics in schools might have led to recent deaths in two high schools.
At least three students including a teacher at Sacred Heart Mukumu Girls High School died with more than 100 students from Butere Boys admitted after cases of food poisoning.
The three students and a teacher at Mukumu who died are said to have succumbed to a mix of E. coli and Salmonella Typhi.
"The recent deaths that were witnessed in some schools could have been prevented if more public health officers were employed'' the union said.
The union added that the disease burden in Kenya is largely characterised by preventable deaths that can be thwarted by investing more in prevention measures.
Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Workers(KEHPHW) secretary general Brown Achira said that public health officers in the country are understaffed.
Achira said this happens despite the public health officers being on the front line in the fight against Covid-19, malaria and TB among other diseases.
KEHPHW said public health officers should be well-equipped with water sampling tools.
The officers should also be well distributed across the country and the government should focus more on prevention measures.