Chris Ocowun
9 November 2009
Kampala — THE number of people who have died from drinking the suspected poisonous waragi in Gulu district has risen to 27.
A total of 50 others have been admitted to hospital at Gulu Hospital with lost sight and vomiting.
The Police said it expected more deaths since people in villages were not reporting cases to the authorities.
The acting medical superintendent of Gulu Hospital, Dr. Michael Kisige, said, the survivors of waragi mixed with methanol would still suffer its effects even after 20 years.
He stated that just 10 milliliters of methanol could make one blind and damage the pancreas.
Gulu district leaders led by the chairman, Norbert Mao, and the regional police commander, Martin Amoru, have intensified operations to stop the sale of the poisonous waragi. About 2,000 jerrycans of waragi have been impounded.
Amoru said the waragi sellers would be arrested and charged with murder.
He added that once the people in hospitals recovered, they would be taken to court to reveal where they consumed the killer waragi from.
Amoru said besides establishing a permanent roadblock at Karuma, there was a 24-hour surveillance of all routes to ensure that no trucks of waragi enter northern Uganda.
Mao blasted the sellers who demanded compensation for their impounded jerrycans.
Many of them complained that they had got loans from banks and microfinance institutions to trade in local gin.
Mao said he was ready to compensate them provided they compensated for those who died.
"I want these waragi dealers to account for the deaths of the innocent if they want to be compensated," Mao told a rally at Kaunda Grounds before pouring and burning over 200 jerricans of the crude liquor on Sunday.
On Saturday, Mao and his deputy, McMot Kitara and district councillors set ablaze another 396 jerricans that were heading to Kitgum via Gulu district.
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