Four residents of Ngirimoiri Village in Kipkelion West Constituency were burnt following an explosion at an illegal changáa distillery.
Police said they were all admitted to the Kericho County Hospital following the May 20 incident.
The Nursing Services Manager at Kericho County Hospital Joel Tanui said the victims, three women and one man, sustained varying degrees of burns during the incident.
The incident happened near a riverbank where the illicit brewing was taking place.
One of the male patients and a female victim sustained 32 per cent body burns, while the other two victims had burns covering less than 10 per cent of their bodies. All are in stable condition, officials said.
Tanui added that upon their arrival at the hospital, the patients were given fluid management and saline baths, and they continue to receive appropriate treatment.
Mercy Cherono, one of the victims, described the explosion saying she had gone to the riverbank where the chang’aa is brewed when the drum exploded and splashed hot liquid on them.
Witnesses said the victims were stacking firewood and warming themselves at a fireplace when the explosion happened.
Some locals said it is an open secret that the illicit activity continues there, yet the authorities have turned a blind eye.
County Police Commander James Negatich confirmed that investigations into this incident and the broader illicit brewing operations have been initiated.
Senior officials visited the victims in the hospital as part of the probe into the incident.
They said they had facial, limb and stomach burns.
The consumption of the drink is high in the area despite operations to contain the same.
Officials in the area held a meeting in the area to plan the next operations in the brew dealers. This followed the blast and an outcry the practice is rampant despite promises the crackdown is ongoing.
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