Domestic row ends with house fire

By Antony Gitonga

Dispute between husband and wife caused man to set sister-in-law’s house on fire injuring child

A man went berserk after a row with his wife and torched the house of his sister-in-law in Mai Mahiu, Naivasha.

In the process, a nine-year-old boy who was sleeping in the house sustained serious burns and is admitted to Kenyatta National Hospital in critical condition.

Following the incident, tens of women in the busy trading centre held a peaceful demonstration accusing police of failing to arrest the suspect.

The women expressed their fears over the fate of five other children that the suspect took with him and who could not be traced.

Pleas from son

The injured child’s mother, Julia Njeri, said she did not know that the couple had fallen out and was shocked to hear that her son had been seriously burnt.

“The man came to the house, broke in and doused it with petrol before setting it ablaze despite pleas from my son,” an emotional Njeri said.

She said since the incident on New Year’s eve the suspect has been threatening them with death.

The wife to the suspect, Monica Ng’endo, said the quarrel with her husband arose over the death threats.

“He has been threatening me and I never thought that he was capable of doing such a thing. I’m asking police to arrest him,” she said.

Addressing the women, Mai Mahiu OCS Inspector Chelimo promised that the suspect would be arrested and the children rescued.

He called on the public to work with the police and offer any information they have on the suspect so that he can be arrested.

“We shall make sure the suspect is arrested and children rescued if we team up with wananchi,” he said.