Four injured in explosion at Kericho Chang'aa brewing site

Four individuals were admitted to Kericho County Referral Hospital with serious burn injuries after an explosion at a chang’aa distillery.

According to police reports, the blast occurred in Ngirimori village, located in Kunyak Ward, Kipkelion West Constituency.

"They suffered severe burns as a result of the explosion," police informed reporters.

Victims Mercy Cherono and Irene Oduor reported that the chang’aa tank exploded while they were trying to keep warm by a fire because of the cold weather.

They recalled seeing a fire near the distillation area and approached it to warm themselves.

John Kariuki, whose brother is one of the injured, said the two victims worked as casual laborers at the site.

Kariuki raised alarm over the widespread illicit brewing, pointing out that many young people have become addicted and unproductive.

Ruth Wacuka expressed her frustration with the persistent illegal brewing activities, which seem to continue unchecked with the apparent tolerance of security agencies.

She lamented that their repeated appeals for intervention have been ignored.

Another community member, Stephen Mburu, accused local leaders of being influenced by the illicit brewers.

Mburu alleged that these dealers pay protection money to keep their operations running and urged the government to step in and stop the practice.

Joel Tanui, Nursing Services Manager at Kericho County Referral Hospital, stated that some victims suffered burns over 32% of their bodies, while others had burns covering less than 10%.

He added that the patients are currently in stable condition and are receiving proper medical care.