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The death toll rose by two on Thursday following the consumption of suspected illicit alcohol in Kandongu village, Kirinyaga. The town has recently witnessed a surge in fatalities attributed to illicit alcohol consumption.
According to reports, one of the deceased, a middle-aged man, succumbed to severe stomach pains while being transported by police to Kerugoya Hospital via the Sagana-Kagio Highway after consuming the illicit alcohol. Witnesses recounted finding him in distress over stomach discomfort before his demise upon reaching Kerugoya Hospital.
Meanwhile, the second victim, identified as 52-year-old John Gatimu, passed away at Kerugoya Hospital while receiving treatment after reportedly consuming the toxic beverages obtained from Kandongu Trading Centre.
In response to the tragic incidents, enraged residents of Kandongu attempted to set fire to some of the bars in the trading center, prompting police intervention.
These fatalities come barely ten days after 17 individuals lost their lives to tainted brews within the same locality. Subsequent investigations revealed that the lethal liquor originated from a police exhibit stored at Kiamaciri police station.
An anonymous police source informed Citizen Digital that the deadly brew was pilfered from the station by four rogue officers who subsequently sold it to local residents. The implicated officers, including the former Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Kiamaciri police station, Kennedy Mugambi, currently serving as a SOP in Kabete, were apprehended and presented before the Baricho Law Courts.
Senior Principal Magistrate Stephen Nyaga granted police permission to detain the suspects at Kerugoya police station until March 7, 2024, to facilitate ongoing investigations into the matter.
Mugambi, along with Allan Kiamazi, Brian Kariuki, and Francis Muteithia, stand accused of unlawfully accessing the police store at Kiamaciri police station and illegally distributing the confiscated exhibit to a local vendor.
