A drinking competition in Matayos, Busia turned tragic after a participant died minutes after being declared the winner.
K24 Digital reported on Wednesday, October 9, that Michael Ouma lost his life after downing three glasses of Chang'aa in quick succession.
Ouma was pronounced dead on arrival at a Busia hospital, with doctors claiming that he died from dehydration that was caused by the alcohol he had ingested.
His mother, Jackline Nabwire, revealed that his son left home on Wednesday morning to meet his friends at a local drinking den.
"My son had a drinking problem. His wife had left him because of his addiction to alcohol," Nabwire disclosed.
The competition was organized by one of the wealthy drinkers at the Matayos den, who promised unlimited drinks to the winner.
The deceased accepted the challenge and beat his friends in a bid to clinch the ultimate prize.
His body was taken to Sega Mission Hospital Morgue. Ouma is survived by a widow and three children.
The World Health Organization (WHO) in 2018 released a report that stated four out of 100 deaths in Kenya were caused by alcohol intake.
The study published by Daily Nation in October 2018, noted that the consumption of Chang'aa was at a high of 37 per cent compared to other alcohol brands.
WHO also mentioned that the overall burden of diseases and injuries caused by the harmful use of alcohol was unacceptably high.
According to the report, Kenyans above the age of 15 recorded a total alcohol per capita consumption (APC) of 3.4 litres in pure alcohol.
