Family of four perish in mysterious house fire

By Cyrus Ombati

A family of four was found burnt to death in a bizzare and mysterious incident in Kajiado town.

Police say initial investigations indicate to a possible suicide incident. The four include a husband, his wife aged 27 and two boys aged seven and five respectively.

They were found dead in their one bedroomed house in the area on Thursday morning after the fire incident that happened in the night.

The children’s bodies were found in the sitting room, both lying on the bellies and had slight burns on their backs while those of the parents were in the bedroom, police said.

Neighbours told police the couple had had domestic quarrels over the past weeks. They both come from Vihiga district and were working as casual labourers in Kajiado.

Kajiado CID boss Peter Mabeya said they were yet to inform the next kin of the deceased. He said the bodies were taken to the local mortuary waiting for postmortem exercise.

“We want to take samples from the bodies and take them for testing to establish if some of them were poisoned before a fire was started,” said Mabeya.
He added there were no signs of struggle in the house to suggest an attack from outside.

The incident brought to six, the number of people burnt to death in fire incidents in Nairobi and Kajiado. Two children had been burnt in another fire incident in Huruma estate, Nairobi.

Police and witnesses say the fire also burnt down several structures rendering several residents homeless.

The two boys had been left sleeping by their mother when the fire broke out as a result of what is believed to be illegal power connection from a nearby house.

Fire engines arrived there several minutes later and managed to contain the fire before police moved the remains to the mortuary.

Nairobi Area police boss Anthony Kibuchi said the fire rendered many people homeless.

Mob justice

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