Kampala — AN 18-year-old Kenyan student recently died after trying to drink five litres of crude waragi (local potent gin).

Simon Karangu, a Senior Three student of Green Hill Secondary School in Bugiri town, had earlier been engaged in an argument with fellow Kenyan students on whether he could take the alcohol within two minutes.

Karangu said he could drink the amount in less than two minutes, prompting the other Kenyans to stake Ksh1,200 if he accomplished his feat. They went to a nearby joint, owned by an elderly woman, Sarah Kagoya and bought the waragi.

He started drinking directly from the jerrycan. Halfway through, he collapsed and started bleeding from the nose as his colleagues fled.

The district Police commander, Dan Byaruhanga, said Kagoya had been arrested and was helping with investigations. He said pubs in Kimombasa and Busanzi slums in Bugiri had been cautioned against selling alcohol to students.

Byaruhanga added that the Police would soon arrest people found drinking during working hours to reduce the cases of underage drinking especially amongst students.