A 37-year-old man from Matayos in Busia County died on Wednesday shortly after winning a chang’aa-drinking competition.
Michael Ouma downed three glasses of chang’aa in quick succession, and passed out shortly thereafter.
Ouma was pronounced dead on arrival at a Busia hospital.
The cause of Ouma’s death is yet to be ascertained, but doctors suspect he succumbed to dehydration.
The deceased’s mother, Jackline Nabwire, said her son left home Wednesday morning to meet his friends at one of the drinking dens in Matayos.
“My son had a drinking problem. His wife had even left him because of his addiction to alcohol,” said Nabwire.
The fatal competition was organised by one of the “wealthy” drinkers, who said he would buy unlimited alcohol drinks to anyone who will beat the other(s) in a drinking competition.
Ouma and his two friends accepted the “philanthropist’s” challenge.
After downing three glasses in a matter of seconds, and, consequently, beating his cronies in the contest, Ouma collapsed and died.
His body was taken to Sega Mission Hospital morgue.
He is survived by a widow and four children.
