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Police are investigating the death of three construction workers at a city property owned by ANC Party leader Musalia Mudavadi.
The three were part of eight people who, according to the police, took an “unknown concoction” on Thursday afternoon while they were at a construction site in Kazuri, Marula Ridge, in Karen.
Different reports from Karen Hospital and St Odillas Dispensary, where the three were rushed, indicate that they were consistently vomiting and complaining of abdominal pains.
Two adults were rushed to Karen Hospital but one, identified as Mr Geoffrey Kipkemoi Mutai, 29, died. Six were taken to St Odillas dispensary where Mr Edmond Agesa, 25, died.
The third person, identified only as Nicholas and who was described as a driver, died at St Mary’s Hospital where he had been referred to for further treatment.
At Umash Funeral Home where the bodies were taken, staff refused to share any information with the Sunday Nation about the incident.
“You must come with a letter from the police that will allow you to get such information from here,” said the staff.
However, a source at the facility said only two bodies had been taken to the morgue.
The survivors, whose whereabouts is still unknown, were identified as Mr Edwin Kivale, Mr Hillary Kiplagat, Mr Nicholas Avumba, Mr Patrick Munyuvi and Mr Levis Otieno.
On Saturday afternoon, the security officer in charge of the construction site, identified as Mr Robert Kibet, was summoned to Karen Police Station where he recorded a statement about the incident.
As soon as news about the incident went public, family members of the victims and well wishers tried to gather around the construction site in Karen but were dispersed by police.
They were also not allowed to camp at Karen Police Station, which was following up the matter.
Police officers were cautious about any information concerning the incident that they were sharing with the media.
However, Mr Mudavadi tweeted on his official account about the incident and promised to assist the affected people once he gets back to the country.
The police, in a statement that was released to the public mid-morning Saturday, said they found a bottle, assorted leaves and aloe vera in a plastic jug at the scene. “We took the jug and the other substances that we strongly suspect were used to make the concoction. We took them as exhibits,” a statement by the police dated January 31, read.
ANC Secretary General Barrack Muluka, in a statement sent to media houses, said the delay in sharing information on the matter was caused by time-zone difference between Kenya and Mr Mudavadi’s current address.
“Time-zone differences between Kenya and his current address, put together with protocol necessities for gathering facts, authenticating them and sharing the details, have invariably slowed the public communication in this matter,” read the statement.
Mr Muluka said the incident took place while construction was still ongoing and its management was under the hands of the contractor, and not Mr Mudavadi.
The statement said that Mr Mutai and Mr Ageya (both deceased) were the ones in possession of the “killer concoction.”
“They are said to have claimed that the liquid had certain beneficial properties. The two of them and a number of others at the site orally and voluntarily administered the liquid upon themselves,” read the statement.
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