At least four others were reported blind after they consumed expired alcohol in Kirinyaga on Monday

• Central regional commissioner Fredrick Shisia said angry Kangai villagers raided and torched the bar linked to deaths.
• He said security teams were on the ground to handle the crisis.

A section of residents in Kirinyaga burnt down a bar after 10 people died from consuming expired alcohol.

At least four others were reported blind after they consumed the chemical on Monday, officials said.

Central regional commissioner Fredrick Shisia said angry Kangai villagers raided and torched the bar linked to deaths.

He said security teams were on the ground to handle the crisis.

“Our teams are pursuing the case and intend to prefer serious charges including murder,” he said.

The residents stormed the bar at dawn Wednesday destroying property before setting it ablaze.

During the raid, crates of beer, tables and other property were destroyed, police and witnesses said.

Residents said the revellers went to a local bar on Monday night and ordered the drink, which they enjoyed while chatting before heading home.

However, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, the victims began complaining of stomach pains and vomiting.

Six of the victims died at home while the rest succumbed in hospitals. The contents of the brew are yet to be known.

The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse said it is alarmed by the deaths and loss of eyesight among people reported to have consumed the suspicious alcoholic drinks.

“From preliminary reports, the deaths occurred as a result of consumption of an unidentified substance whose contents are yet to be established,” Nacada chief executive officer Anthony Omerikwa said.

He also cautioned the public on the rising cases of illicit alcohol-related deaths and illnesses.

Omerikwa urged the public to avoid the consumption of alcohol whose quality cannot be verified.