Image: KNA
Four people died on Monday in Kyuso ward, Mwingi North, after consuming Kaluvu, a potent illicit liquor popular in the region.
The authorities said their earlier attempt to close the bar was foiled after the suspect went to court and obtained a court order restraining the government from shutting it down.
Seven others are being treated at the Mwingi level 4 hospital after being referred from Kyuso level 4 Hospital.
The CEC added that the symptoms exhibited by the victims, which included blurred vision, were consistent with previous cases of ethanol consumption.
Area chief Kasyoka Kilonzi confirmed the incident.According to survivors who spoke with the media, they were unsure what went wrong because they had previously purchased similar drinks from the same seller.
Reports indicate that victims who had lost their sight were given an antidote to ethanol poisoning, which restored their vision.
They suspected the drink had been poisoned during fermentation because it was stored in drums in a thicket, away from the prying eyes of the police.
Residents now want the government to take action and rid the area of illicit alcohol before it causes further harm to community members.
The owner of the drinking establishment is also admitted to Mwingi, the same medical facility.
The development comes almost months after 17 people lost their lives to the illicit brews within the same Kirinyaga town.
Those who drank the beverage experienced an immediate severe fever, stomachache, vomiting, and diarrhoea.
Residents said the revellers went to a local bar on Monday morning and ordered the drink, which they enjoyed while chatting before heading home.
The bodies of the deceased were moved to the level 4 hospital mortuary.
The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse said it is alarmed by the deaths and loss of eyesight among people reported to have consumed the suspicious alcoholic drinks.
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