One person has died and four others hospitalized after drinking illicit alcohol in Kuinet area on the outskirts of Eldoret town.
The deceased, a 37-year-old man is said to have died after drinking a yet-to-be-identified alcohol type.
The other four people, whom he was in the company are receiving treatment at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.
According to locals, the victims started drinking early on Tuesday but started feeling unwell while on their drinking spree.
By 10 am, one of them had died, and others were taken to nearby Kuinet Dispensary for emergency medical attention before they were transferred to MTRH, in Eldoret town.
“We are very sad because we have lost a youth just because of illegal alcohol. The victims started drinking very early in the morning,” said one of the locals Shadrack Koech.
“This is not the first time such an incident is happening. The police are not doing their work,” he added.
The locals now want the police moved, and new ones deployed so as to help restore sanity. They lament that there are many alcohol dens in the area, with the police only interested in taking bribes.
“The law says no bar should be open before 5 pm but these ones were drinking as early as 10 am,” noted another local.
They are now threatening to hold demonstrations to demand action to be taken by individuals involved in the illegal alcohol sale.
“We have tried to work with the chief to address this issue but it has taken a while before we meet as Nyumba Kumi. It is sad that such a young man can die because of illicit alcohol that has been on the rise in this area,” said Dr. Julius Kiprono, a member of Nyumba Kumi in the area.
The locals also raised a red flag over a high number of bars in the Kuinet center. They say the area has over 10 bars, compared to only three hotels.
