A 39-year-old man lost his sight on Friday after a drinking spree with friends.
The victim from Muhoroni, Kisumu County consumed illicit alcohol christened 'skirt' and went blind. While confirming the incident, Kisumu County Police Commander, Benson Maweu, stated that another victim is fighting for his life at a Muhoroni hospital.
“A group of young men went on a drinking spree at a pub in Muhoroni, where they binged on the illegal alcohol. One of them, a matatu tout identified as James Odongo, woke up blind Friday morning,” Maweu told K24 Digital.
According to a 2018 report by the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD), illicit alcohol affects brands.
“Illegal alcohol, particularly counterfeit and smuggled products, can erode confidence in government standards, enforcement, and in the integrity of legitimate, regulated brands,” IARD says in the report.
In May, Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) Chairman Sachen Gudka warned that one of the factors promoting growth in production of illegal drinks was hefty taxation.
Speaking at the Anti-Illicit Trade Summit, Gudka asked the government to reduce taxation in the alcohol sector.
“Excessive regulation can generate the unintended consequences of driving demand for alcoholic beverages in the informal sector and generate worse health outcomes owing to the production methods employed in the latter,” states The Unintended Effect of Kenya’s Alcohol Regulation Policies, White Paper launched during the May summit.