Toxic drink death toll shoots up to 23

The number of people who died after taking an illicit brew in Nairobi’s Kibera slums rose to 23 on Tuesday.

The death toll doubled as police said they had arrested 24 people during raids on dens on Monday night and Tuesday morning.

Nairobi police boss Antony Kibuchi said another four people had been arrested with 14 litres of chang’aa and would be arraigned in court separately.

“We want to compile a strong case so that they can be prosecuted for causing deaths rather than simply possession of chang’aa,” said Mr Kibuchi.

Records at the City Mortuary showed 19 bodies had been taken there directly from the slum and the district hospital while four died at KNH.

Mr Kibuchi confirmed that by Tuesday evening six people were at Mbagathi District Hospital and three at KNH.

On Tuesday, more imbibers headed to KNH after they experienced symptoms associated with methanol poisoning.

Mr Samwel Khamati, the man pictured in Tuesday’s Daily Nation, is said to have died on Monday night at the Mbagathi District Hospital.

But there was a problem for administrators and elders. Most of the victims did not have identity papers, fixed places of abode or traceable relatives to organise burials.

Found dead

“Most were addressed by their nicknames and even neighbours know nothing about them,” said Laini Saba assistant chief Clement Ombati.

At Silanga village, a few metres from Nairobi Dam, a man only known as Wambua was found dead yesterday morning, having spent Monday groaning and foaming at the mouth.

Neighbours, though unsure, said he was a council employee and had two female friends who regularly spent the night with him.

The women were only identified as Mwikali and Mwende.

At KNH on Tuesday, Mr Charles Wamugunda said he took three glasses of the lethal koroga on Saturday. Later that night, he repeatedly threw up but ignored it.

“When I feel sick after a drink, I assume it is a hangover and go for some more, so there was nothing to worry about,” he said.