A police officer has died after consuming unknown substances at his residence in a village in Kehancha, Migori County

According to reports, Constable Peter Arida is suspected to have ingested a chemical and fell ill afterwards on Monday morning.

His family rushed him to Kombe Dispensary after he complained of losing sight but medical practitioners referred him to another hospital in Migori. Upon his arrival he was pronounced dead.

The chemical Arida ingested is suspected to be methylated spirit but it is yet to be established whether there was another chemical in the bottle he used that led to his untimely death

The constable was attached to Kombe police post, and was a family man.

DCI detectives visited the scene and collected the samples for analysis to establish the contents in the said chemical that killed the police officer. The body of the deceased was moved to a mortuary in Migori.

The constable’s death comes at a time when families in  Kangai village, Mwea East in Kirinyaga county, are yet to come to terms  with deaths that occurred recently due to illicit brew.

At least 17 people died with 6 of them being of the same family. Several others were left blind and others hospitalized.

The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse(NACADA) has expressed concerns on the high number of Kenyans dying of consuming illicit brew and unknown substances. Dr Antony Omerikwa, the Chief Executive Officer, issued a statement.

“As the relevant investigative agencies try to unravel the contents and source of the killer drink, Nacada wishes to caution the public on the rising cases of the illicit alcohol-related deaths and illness and urge the public to avoid consumption of the alcohol whose quality cannot be verified,” he stated.