A 52-year-old man from the western district of Kamwenge died from an alcohol overdose during a local binge drinking competition.

He was eyeing the winner's prize, a cock. Laurensio Mitooma, who was a resident of Rwenkubebe parish, Nyabbani sub-county, Kamwenge district, entered the competition with friends on Christmas eve, but collapsed after drinking six litres of crude waragi, according to Farida Masika, a bar attendant who served him.

"They spent the whole night here guzzling waragi and by the time we realized that he had lost consciousness, he had already died," Masika said.

Kamwenge district police commander Jonson Kiconco Tibbs, however, said the deceased could have died from poisoning, insisting that Mitooma had been a habitual drunkard.

Kiconco later cautioned people against excessive drinking.