Two people have died and five others are fighting for their lives after allegedly consuming poisonous alcohol in Mutuati, Meru County.
Police said the victims drank the suspected contaminated brew, locally known as Musengeri, at a home in Gitana village on Tuesday evening.
The first victim, James Mutembei, was found dead at Gitana Shopping Centre, while six others were rushed to Mutuati Hospital in critical condition. They were later referred to Nyambene Level Four Hospital, where Kamenchu M’Mkinyeri, 70, succumbed while undergoing treatment.
Detectives who visited the scene said they recovered 10 litres of the illicit brew from the drinking den. The samples have since been sent to the Government Chemist for toxicology analysis to determine the nature of the poison.
The bodies of the two men were moved to the Nyambene Level Four Hospital mortuary pending post-mortem examinations.
Meanwhile, police have launched investigations into the source of the alcohol as part of a nationwide crackdown on illicit brews, which have claimed dozens of lives across the country in recent months.
