Man dies, three in hospital after taking alcohol

Members of the public help Red Cross staff rescue people reported to have taken suspect alcohol. [Gilbert Kimutai, Standard]

One person died and three others were hospitalised after they allegedly drunk adulterated alcohol at a bar in Bomet town.

The four were discovered abandoned unconscious outside the bar.

Good Samaritans rushed the men to Bomet health centre where one was pronounced dead on arrival.

“They were in deep sleep and foaming at the mouth, with one of them vomiting and writhing in pain,” said John Langat.

Langat, who is a resident of Bomet town, said the four were in the company of an unidentified fifth person who bought them the alcohol.

He said the buyer did not want the men to carry the alcohol away, forcing them to hurriedly consume it.

Bomet Central sub-county police commander Geoffrey Walumbe confirmed the incident, saying one of the victims had been admitted in critical condition at Longisa County Referral Hospital.

Mr Walumbe said they were looking for two other people who were part of the drinking group.

Locals vented their anger at security officers for allegedly turning a blind eye to the rampant sale of outlawed brews.

They said the presence and sale of banned alcohol was a ticking time bomb.

The residents threatened to stage a protest in Bomet town to demand that bars stop stocking the illicit drinks.

“We want County Commissioner Geoffrey Omondi and his team to ensure second-generation alcohol is wiped out to save the lives of unsuspecting youth,” they demanded.

They also claimed that police have turned a blind eye to the public sale of narcotics.

According to the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse, the country is losing at least 5,000 people to alcoholism every year.

Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho has previously blamed counties for the rise in licensed bars as they seek to increase their revenue streams.