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Kyotera authorities ban liquor after killing 10 residents
Small plastic bottles containing gin allegedly laced with methanol. Photos | Issa Aliga
What you need to know:
- Before dying, all victims presented symptoms of body weakness, vomiting, profuse sweating, abdominal pain, swelling in the areas around the limbs, short breath and fever, according to Dr Muwanga
Health authorities in Kyotera District have banned the production and sale of waragi, a local brew after it killed eight adults and two children in Kabira Sub County.
The victims reportedly consumed a locally distilled alcohol suspected to be laced with methanol.
Methanol is a toxic solvent which the distillers in villages mix with liquor as a cheap substitute for ethanol not knowing its severe consequences to people's health, according to Mr Joseph Giriman, the Kyotera District surveillance focal person.
Mr Giriman said the latest victim is Nathan Mugenyi, a former teacher at Bakka Primary School in Kabira Sub County.
Before his death, Mugenyi complained about the gin saying it was tasting differently compared to other brands of local alcohol he usually takes.
Kyotera District Health Officer, Dr Edward Muwanga, said he received an alert call from the health assistant of Kabira Health Centre III after 10 residents died mysteriously in a space of two and half months in the villages of Kyanika A, B, C, D and Zziwa in Kabira Sub County.
“On August 8, we immediately formed a disease outbreak response team of epidemiologists, health educators and field coordinators from the World Health Organization who went to Kabira Sub County. The team visited the affected households and found one person still alive, but receiving care from a shrine,” he said in an interview on Friday.
Before dying, all victims presented symptoms of body weakness, vomiting, profuse sweating, abdominal pain, swelling in the areas around the limbs, short breath and fever, according to Dr Muwanga
Some victims died at their homes, shrines while others died in the small private clinics in the villages, as locals were attributing the deaths to witchcraft.
Kyotera District Health Officer, Dr Edward Muwanga (right) with policemen at one of the waragi distilling places at Kyanika D Village in Kyotera district on August 17, 2023
Dr Muwanga said blood samples and urine were taken from the bodies of the deceased for toxicology testing at Makerere Histopathology Laboratory and the liquor allegedly consumed by the victims was also taken to Uganda Virus Research Institute for analysis.
“Preliminary results have revealed that those 10 people died of alcohol poisoning,” he said.
Dealers have been packing the killer liquor in small plastic bottles under the name ‘Eddekende waragi’ while others had a label of 'Ddembelyo waragi'.
On Thursday, police combed drinking joints in the area, and confiscated 1000 litres of waragi and about 20 alcohol shops were closed.
Masaka Regional Police spokesperson, Mr Twaha Kasirye said they have already identified the suppliers of the killer liquor and confiscated all ingredients and accessories used in making the local brew.
“The main suppliers are from Nabigasa Sub County in the same district and the leaders in the area have already been contacted to trace all the people doing this business,” he said.
