Kiambu: Man drowns at River Chania after consuming illicit brew

A middle-aged man from Makwa village in Gatundu North, Kiambu County has drowned at River Chania after reportedly taking an illicit brew.

The man identified as Harrison Kamau is reported to have been overly intoxicated at the time of the incident.

He reportedly staggered into the river as he was trying to cross over to the other side of the bridge.

Speaking to K24 Digital, Peter Karanja and Charles Kananu who have been championing against the production of the illicit brews manufactured at the river banks disclosed that a similar incident had happened two weeks ago.

The two affirmed that despite continuous efforts to avert the menace, local authorities who have been abetting manufacturers of the outlawed substance have been thwarting their attempts.

The manufacturers, they said, are well known to the authorities but little action is taken against them, a move they regretted has largely resulted in high uptake of the killer brews in Makwa, Mang’u and Gatukuyu villages.

The enforcement officers decried that their lives were in danger after the brewers ganged to stop their brave efforts to fight the menace.

“It’s very sad that deaths have started happening as a result of abuse of illicit brews. The most unfortunate thing is that the brewers are known but nothing is done to tame them,” Karanja stated.

Gatundu North Sub-County police Commander Ellen Wanjiku said investigations are ongoing to establish the real cause of Kamau’s death.

She revealed that her officers are leaving nothing to chance to get rid of the killer drinks. Wanjiku also urged locals to volunteer information on the sellers and brewers.

“We have commenced investigations to establish what led to his death. We are on top of things to ensure we end manufacturer of the illicit brews along Chania River,” Wanjiku stated.

Kamau’s body was moved to General Kago mortuary in Thika.