Six individuals have lost their lives, and five others have suffered blindness after consuming illicit alcohol in Kangai village, Kirinyaga County.
George Karoki, Kirinyaga Health CEC, addressed the press on Tuesday, February 6, revealing that the illicit brew is suspected to have contained ethanol. He emphasized that the hospitalized patients exhibited signs of blurred vision.
“They had taken some illicit brew, and we are suspecting it must have had ethanol because the type of signs and symptoms that have been exhibited from the patients have shown that they were blurred vision,” explained Karoki.
He added, “We know very well that this kind of chemical will cause issues with the liver, what we call liver cirrhosis and other nervous system problems. That is why they cannot be able to see well.”
Mwea Deputy County Commissioner Teresia Wanjiku highlighted the challenges authorities face in addressing ethanol-related cases in the region.
“We have prosecuted more than 10 cases and we have not been successful in most of them, especially on ethanol, which we confiscated in this homestead, and we were told to produce the apparatus from the manufacturers. I don’t know which ones are expected in that case because ethanol, you just mix it with water, and that’s all,” stated the Mwea DCC.
Wanjiku further revealed that they plan to transfer alcohol-related cases to the Wanguru law courts due to the frustrations faced in addressing the issue.
