Six people have been confirmed dead and five others have gone blind after consuming illicit alcohol in Kangai village, Kirinyaga County.
Addressing the press on Tuesday, February 6, Kirinyaga Health CEC George Karoki said the illicit brew is suspected to have contained ethanol.
Karoki noted that patients hospitalized after drinking the deadly alcohol 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,” said 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.”
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Mwea Deputy County Commissioner Teresia Wanjiku on the other hand pointed out that authorities have not been successful in dealing with ethanol cases in the region.
Wanjiku mentioned that they have taken more than ten cases to court but they are dismissed.
“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,” the Mwea DCC stated.
Wanjiku further revealed that they will be moving alcohol-related cases to the Wanguru law courts due to the frustrations.
