When Susan Rioba left her house in Shanzu, Mombasa County, to unwind on the night of January 15, she did not know the evening would end in a hospital bed.
Around midnight at a bar in Shanzu with a friend, Ms Rioba says she ordered an alcoholic drink and a bottle of water. However, the liquid served to her by the waiter, which she believed to be water, turned out to be a different substance once it was served.
“Once the brandy and warm water came, the waiter poured some into the glass and added the so-called "water". Upon sipping, I noticed a different taste and felt as if I was burning. I tried to swallow, but it was difficult because it tasted so strange. I eventually spat it out. My friend also tasted it and spat it out. We called the manager, and when he tasted it, he spat it out as well,” said Ms Rioba.
Susan Rioba during an interview at the Nation offices in Mombasa.
Photo credit: Jurgen Nambeka | Nation Media Group
She explains that in the heat of the moment, she asked the friend to rush her to hospital because her lips had started reacting to the corrosion of the alleged acid. Ms Rioba recalled that once the staff realised what had happened, one employee took away the bottle containing the substance.
As the reveller attempted to leave with the glass to preserve it as evidence, she says that a security guard struck it, causing the liquid to pour onto her thigh and burn her.
She was rushed by her friend to a medical clinic in Shanzu at around 2 am, accompanied by two employees from the establishment who later left her to file a report at Bamburi Police Station.
According to a medical report seen by Nation , her mouth had clear signs of chemical burns across the buccal region, including the tongue and throat. The report further noted that the liquid on her clothing emitted a strong odour consistent with hydrochloric acid.
“Mouth shows superficial chemical burn and discoloration, including the tongue and throat, with hyperpigmentation. The thighs exposed showed bilateral superficial skin inflammation and slight swelling that is non-pitting,” the report stated.
It added, “On wafting the liquid soaking the cloth and examining, a piercing smell of substance suspected to be hydrochloric acid was perceived.”
She was discharged and later went to an Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist for a review, since she had pain and difficulty swallowing. Afterwards, Ms Rioba filed a report at Bamburi Station under OB number 32/13/01/2026 and filled a P3 form at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital.
The entrance to the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit | Nation Media Group
Police sources involved in the investigations confirmed that the incident was filed at Bamburi Police Station against the Balsons Bar and Restaurant. A senior ranking police officer, who requested anonymity for lack of authority to comment on the matter, said it has since been forwarded to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for further probe.
Ms Rioba says the acid was in an identical bottle to the water served at the bar, suggesting the waiter must have mistaken one for the other; however, she blames the waiter for a lack of due diligence.
“According to the CCTV footage, the acid bottle was inside the drinks cabinet instead of where detergents are placed. My issue is with the server who did not check if the water was sealed. Even the smell should have been a giveaway,” she said.
Ms Rioba says the happenings shook her as she was worried about her safety. For a moment, she thought somebody was after her life and that the person might have wanted to do it by lacing her drink.
Her ordeal has brought to the fore the question of who is responsible for the safety of customers at such establishments. Ms Rioba says the owners of the establishment initially reached out to her, requesting that they sort the issue out of court and asking for her demands following the events.
“The police wrote a demand letter to the bar and restaurant for CCTV footage. But before I left the hospital, the doctor had talked to me, saying the owner was requesting an out-of-court settlement. But I told him, even if it is so, I need to know who was after my life. What if I had swallowed it?” she said.
CCTV footage obtained by Nation reveals how the water and the alleged acid were swapped. A waitress who was about to end her shift had placed a bottle of acid on the counter. Moments later, the waiter serving Ms Rioba arrived to collect her order, placing the drinks and a bottle of water nearby.
When the waiter momentarily stepped away, the waitress returned, mistakenly picked up the water bottle, and walked off. Upon returning and seeing no water for his table, the waiter reached for the remaining bottle, which contained the acid.
Minutes later, the footage shows the waitress returning to the counter, looking confused and pointing to the spot where she had originally left the acid.
Ms Rioba explains that her legal representatives met with the owners of the establishment and the DCI officers, where she was asked to submit her demands. She did so on February 1, 2026, driven by the fear that long-term health issues might resurface even after her initial recovery.
The twist occurred when the establishment sent her a letter through their advocates on February 2, 2026, in response to her demands. The letter seen by the Nation, written by advocate Mike Kyalo Mulei, denied liability for the injuries, citing that the premises does not deal in acids or corrosive substances.
According to the management, the waiters, not the owners, were to answer for any damage caused.
“The alleged acid belonged to a third party whose name you know, who assisted in paying your hospital bills and admitted to have purchased it elsewhere for her own use. Our client categorically states that your recourse, if any, lies against the third party,” stated Mr Mulei.
Ms Rioba was left at a crossroads after the lawyers cautioned her that any suit against the company would be defended at her own risk, and she would be forced to foot the legal costs despite her lack of funds.
“We hope wise counsel prevails to avert the said costs and consequences,” the letter concluded.
Attempts by Nation to get a comment from the management were futile. Meanwhile, when reached on phone, Mr Mulei refused to comment, saying the issue was under litigation.
Ms Rioba now says she does not know what will happen to her case, as it seems like the premise will go scot free.
“I am now worried whether this is it for my case, will someone be held responsible for almost taking my life. I am afraid of even going to work. I feel like I am not safe. I want to be free and I need justice,” says Ms Rioba.
