Three die after suspected illicit alcohol poisoning in Kitengela

Three people have died in Kitengela after allegedly consuming illicit alcohol, sparking fresh calls for action against illegal brew outlets. [Courtesy]

A sombre mood has engulfed Noonkpoir Estate in Kitengela, Kajiado County, following the deaths of at least three people in the past four days.

Two others are reportedly fighting for their lives after allegedly consuming illicit alcohol.

The victims are said to have consumed the brew in the Migingo area on Monday, September 21, 2026, with residents now calling on authorities to crack down on outlets suspected of selling illicit alcohol.

Among those who died was James Maina Nguru, 40, a mason and father of three.

His widow, Christine Mukeira, said her husband died after returning home from a drinking spree with friends.

According to Mukeira, Nguru came home at about 8 pm complaining of severe stomach pain after spending the evening drinking at a pub in the neighbourhood.

“He came home complaining of stomach pain after drinking with his friends. He had developed a habit of drinking after work and had become dependent on alcohol,” she said.

Mukeira said her husband had first passed by their home after work before leaving to spend the evening at a local drinking establishment.

Nguru's elderly mother, Mary Muthoni Nguru, said the death had left the family devastated.

Muthoni, who moved with her young family from Eldoret to Kitengela during the 1997 post-election violence, said she had raised her children as a widow after losing her husband years ago.

She said Nguru, her last-born son, lived with her and his family at her Kitengela plot.

“We have lost a son and a father. I am appealing to the Government to take action against traders who continue selling dangerous alcohol to unsuspecting residents,” she said.

Nguru's body is being preserved at Kitengela Sub-County Hospital mortuary. He is expected to be buried on Tuesday, September 29, at the family home in Burnt Forest, Uasin Gishu County.

A few metres from Sameri Police Post, another family was mourning Godfrey Simiyu Kiliswa, 55, a casual labourer.

His widow, Lynette Sirengo, 45, said her husband died on Tuesday morning after spending the night in pain.

Sirengo said neighbours alerted her after Kiliswa was reportedly found unconscious by the roadside near a popular illicit brew outlet known locally as “Kwa Omosh.”

She said her husband had spent much of the previous evening drinking with friends before he was found unconscious.

“I was alerted by neighbours that my husband had been found lying unconscious by the roadside. He had been drinking with his friends the previous evening,” Sirengo said.

The family is making arrangements for his burial in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County, although a date had not been set by the time of filing this report.

His body is also at Kitengela Sub-County Hospital mortuary. The family, according to Sirengo, was not considering a postmortem.

About 300 metres away, the semi-permanent house of another suspected victim, Elisha Okello, remained locked as neighbours struggled to come to terms with his death.

His neighbour, Rahab Njeri, said Okello, a plumber, returned home on Wednesday evening appearing drunk but failed to enter his house.

“He came home drunk and fell at the doorstep. He later died there at around 8 pm,” Njeri said.

Police officers later collected his body and took it to the Kitengela Sub-County Hospital mortuary.

The deaths have heightened concern among residents, who are now demanding urgent action against outlets suspected of selling illicit alcohol.

Residents accused security agencies of failing to adequately enforce the law against illicit alcohol establishments, with some alleging that certain pub operators enjoy protection from authorities.

They claimed that officers attached to the nearby Sameri Police Post had failed to address the growing problem despite the reported presence of illicit brew outlets in the area.

“We are living in fear. These drinking dens are operating openly and people are dying. The authorities must act before more families lose their loved ones,” one resident said.

The allegations against security officers and alcohol traders could not be independently verified.

Meanwhile, concern has also been raised over the welfare of people still consuming the suspected brew.

One resident, Anita Wamaitha, 40, was found heavily intoxicated at around midday. The mother of three told The Standard that she drinks daily and attributed her continued alcohol use to problems in her marriage.

The latest deaths have renewed calls from residents for authorities to investigate the source of the alcohol, establish what caused the deaths and take action against anyone found to have violated the law.