Five admitted in Kitale over poisoned liquor

By OSINDE OBARE

Kitale, Kenya: Five people were admitted to the Kitale Level Five hospital after consuming alcohol suspected to contain methanol substances.

This comes just two days after residents of a slum in Kitale pelted police officers with stones to prevent them from raiding chang’aa brewers in the town.

Nurse In-Charge Fedelis Katimo said two of the victims admitted at the facility were unconscious after they were rushed in from Sibanga in Trans-Nzoia East District.

The hospital’s administrator, Thomas Kwalia, mobilised medics to attend and save the lives of the five people who said they had consumed a drink branded ‘Shakers’.

Three of the victims had reportedly taken the lethal brew at Tosha Pub in Sibanga trading centre, while the fourth and fifth victims took the brew from bars in Laini Moja and Kibomet estate within Kitale town.

A 31-year-old man went blind after consuming a brew called Shakers brand, which he had bought at Sh50 at the bar.A man, 45, and a woman, 30, were taken in unconscious.

Bernard Hinga, 54, said: “I only remember that we arrived at the bar with a friend, Kariuki, and he bought me the brew. I don’t know what happened afterwards.”

Hinga, who seemed confused, sparked off laughter when he asked the nurses to discharge him in order to go home and see his family.

Kituyi said he developed complications in his eyes moments after he took the brew at the pub during the Friday night incident.

“I walked to the bar and asked to be served with shakers. I gave out Sh50 and after I took it, I started having complications during the night,” he told The Standard on Sunday at his hospital bed.