At least two people have died and two others are admitted in hospital after consuming poisonous alcohol at Mutindwa in Umoja I Ward, Nairobi County.
Embakasi West constituency liquor committee chairperson Charles Ayiro on Friday confirmed that the two individuals died after drinking at a wine and spirits outlet in Mutindwa area in Embakasi West Constituency.
‘FURAHA‘
Mr Ayiro said the other two were admitted at Mama Lucy Hospital before one was transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital.
One other person has lost his eyesight, Mr Ayiro said.
He stated that one body, of the man who died on Thursday, was transferred to City Mortuary.
The whereabouts of the other body, of the man who passed on on Wednesday, is unknown.
“The two are from Mtindwa area in Umoja. There is a guy who passed on the day before yesterday (Wednesday) and there is a guy who passed on yesterday (Thursday) and there are two in hospital…
Mr Ayiro said that they discovered the deaths when they cracked down on bootleg drinks in the area, arresting two owners of wines and spirits outlet.
Also arrested was the maker of the counterfeit alcohol.
“We managed to arrest 7 people during the swoop. One was manufacturing the alcohol said to have killed the two in his house,” he said.
“There were also some four wines and spirits owners but two managed to escape. The outlet owners and the manufacturer are currently being charged at Makadara Law Courts.”
MORE DEATHS
Mama Lucy Hospital medical superintendent Musa Mohamed confirmed that they have a patient at the hospital who is in a critical condition.
“We have a patient whom we are treating over the alcohol case and his condition is bad,” said Dr Mohamed.
Area MP George Theuri said the death toll could be more than two, claiming that two other deaths have been reported in Kayole.
“The first one died on Wednesday while three died on Thursday. One has lost his eyesight and as we speak, two are in critical condition at Mama Lucy Hospital. We received reports that all these happened after they consumed this alcohol,” he said on Friday.
His claim was corroborated by the area ward representative Mark Mugambi Macharia.
“There is one who took the alcohol on Wednesday night and died the following morning,” he said.
“The other one died yesterday in the afternoon while there are some who have lost their eyesight. Two are dead from Umoja and we also heard that there were other two deaths from Kayole.”