Chang’aa death toll hits 9

Six more people died on Saturday at a Nairobi hospital as the death toll arising from the consumption of illicit brew in a city estate on Friday rose.

The deaths reported at the Kenyatta National Hospital bring to nine the number of lives claimed by the incident in Shauri Moyo estate so far. Three others were reported to have died soon after drinking the brew on Friday.

Residents, however, put the number of the dead at 18.

Kenyatta National Hospital public relations officer Simon Ithae said the referral hospital had received the patients, including the ones that later died, on Friday night.

Intensive care unit

One is currently admitted to the intensive care unit.

“Two male patients who were treated sneaked out before they were discharged,” Mr Ithae told the Sunday Nation in a phone interview.

On Saturday, area residents told the Sunday Nation that some drinking places were operating and that more people were being admitted to hospitals nearby. Others are in Kenyatta and Mbagathi hospitals.

Ms Joyce Wangari, who called the Sunday Nation to complain about the fact that nothing had been done to stop the selling of the brew, said: “A tragedy has befallen us, yet the sale of chang’aa continues in broad daylight.”

Patrons of the dens are also said to have been from Majengo, Kaloleni, Bahati, Muthurwa, Ziwani and Eastleigh estates

A trade unionist on Saturday blamed the provincial administration for failure to stop the sale of illegal brew in Shauri Moyo and other estates.

Mr Edward Peter Nyerere, a former branch secretary of Kenya Local Government Workers Union, Nairobi branch called for an investigation into the existence of drinking dens and their owners charged.

Council workers

Mr Nyerere, a city council worker, said he lost two colleagues in the Friday incident and further blamed the police for failure to close down the drinking dens.

The council workers reported to have died in the incident are Joseph Muthee, of the cleansing section, and William Yuaya of the security department.

“The police have failed Shauri Moyo residents,” Mr Nyerere said. “One or two people die from chang’aa-related effects, yet no-one has bothered to raid the houses where the drink is prepared.”

He accused the police of collecting protection fees from the brewers and not protecting residents. Irate residents reportedly clashed with police on Friday evening when they raided and flattened suspected drinking dens.

According to Mr Nyerere, a former Shauri Moyo resident, owners of the drinking dens used industrial chemicals to hasten the fermentation of the brew to make more money.

“This is utter greed,” Mr Nyerere said.

He called for the area chief and police to be investigated for allowing the selling of unlicensed drinks.