Two Kenyan sisters in Nandi County have weird cravings. Sharon Chepchirchir, 24, and Lydia Chepkemboi, 17, have been munching bar soaps since childhood, the same way others enjoy their chocolate.
Their strange behaviour has baffled many at their Kiboji village in Mosop, where they grew up.
To establish the cause of their insatiable appetite for soap, the girls have undergone a series of tests at Oak Tree Hospital in Eldoret.
Doctors on Wednesday said they would undergo more tests before they conclude a medical report on their condition.
Four samples of soap had been taken to a lab at the University of Eldoret for a chemical analysis.
“We have the two sisters here. We have done a series of tests on them and we will be doing more. We really want to get to the genesis of this habit,” said one of the doctors.
“We have taken Lido, Sawa and Jamaa soap, which are their favourite brands to a lab for analysis,” he added.
Oak Tree Hospital in Eldoret offered to carry out comprehensive medical tests on the sisters for free.
The tests seek to establish the cause of the cravings and whether there are any negative health impacts.
Ms Chepchirchir said she has been munching soap for 19 years.
“I’ve been eating soap since I was five. I am not sure about its impact on my health,” she said.
She said when the cravings for soap began, her mother would beat her up.
“My mum would beat me up and put pepper on the soap but I would still find another bar to eat. I usually eat a piece of Lido bar soap, which goes for Sh20, or a Sh50 Geisha daily,” said Ms Chepchirchir.
Later, the sister developed similar cravings.
“I told my sister that I’d been eating soap for years. So we enjoyed it together,” offered Ms Chepchirchir.
“People have told me that this is a curse. I hope it’s not. I have sought divine intervention many times,” she added.
