Contaminated waragi gin kills 5 in Wakiso

THE Uganda National Bureau of Standard (UNBS) Friday launched investigations into the source of illicit contaminated waragi which left five people dead in Entebbe Wakiso District.

UNBS Quality Assurance Manager, Gyavira Musoke said that they had dispatched a team of surveillance officers  to work with Police and local uuthorities to collect samples of exhibits, to be examined to find out whether the gin contains methanol as alleged by some locals.

He explained that the use of methanol is only restricted to laboratories and industries but some unscrupulous mix it in waragi making people develop chest pain, blurred vision and death.  

Waragi deaths not new to Uganda

The killer waragi which claimed about 80 lives in Kabale district last year before it spread to Sembabule, killing six more people.

Similar deaths, which were first, reported in Kampala surburbs early 2010, later surfaced in Gulu, Kasese, Kabale and Kabarole.

Kabale was worst hit, where scores died and over 20 got blinded after consuming the contaminated gin. District authorities banned the sale of the product.

The waragi samples in the affected areas contained excess methanol.

The Police arrested a trader, identified as Geoffrey Begumanya, linked to the sale of the gin.

The district Police commander, Didi Kigenyi, confirmed the arrest of Begumanya after receiving reports that he was aware of the source of killer waragi.

Angry residents in Lwebitakuli trading centre told The New Vision that the Police impounded about 10 jerrycans of waragi from the depots in the area but later returned them to their owners.

The manufacture and sale of sachet waragi was banned by the health ministry, after it killed people in different parts of the country. About 114 people have died after consuming the poisonous gin since September last year.