Three fall unconscious after consuming suspected toxic alcohol

According to residents of Karii and Kangai villages, the victims had consumed the illicit brew at the Kangai Shopping Centre. “My uncle Kamau drank the alcohol known as Jambo at Kangai,” said a relative of one of the victims.

Outraged locals, led by Kangai Ward MCA Wambu Njiru and community member Denis Murimi, criticized local authorities for failing to control the rampant consumption of illicit alcohol in the area. Murimi accused the security team of neglecting their duty, saying, “They have completely failed us.”

The residents also took issue with the Kirinyaga County Government, accusing it of issuing licenses for more bars in Kangai and Kathiga locations despite growing concerns over alcohol abuse.

Two of the victims were transferred to Kerugoya Hospital in critical condition, while the third is still receiving treatment at Njegas Health Centre.

Serah Njeri, a local resident, claimed that the illicit alcohol is being manufactured in nearby Marura and Kangai areas.

“Bars are operating 24 hours, and police officers from Kangai Police Station are doing nothing to stop it. The county government keeps licensing more bars despite promising to reduce them after the burial of 17 people who died last year,” she lamented.

The community is still reeling from a similar tragedy on February 6, 2024, when over 20 people died and several others went blind after consuming toxic alcohol in the same region.

Security officers in Mwea-West looked on in disbelief as the victims were brought to the health centre. The newly deployed Mwea-West Sub-County Commissioner, Millicent Ngugu—barely a week into her new role—was reportedly shocked by the incident.