Man ‘sets boy on fire over Sh40 theft claim’

Geoffrey Kibet, 12, being attended to at Nakuru Provincial General Hospital on Sunday. [Photo: Boniface Thuku/Standard]

By Patrick Kibet

Nakuru, Kenya: As we walk to Ward Three at Nakuru Provincial General Hospital, scores of people are also rushing there. Word has gone round that a boy was fighting for his life after sustaining burns on his legs and private parts.

It is how the boy sustained the injuries that was of interest to many people, who wanted to hear from the boy’s father.

It is alleged that a posho mill attendant beat up the boy and proceeded to buy a litre of paraffin and a matchbox. He then doused the 12-year-old with paraffin and set him on fire. All this because he suspected the boy stole Sh40.

As we stand at his bed, Geoffrey Kibet writhes in pain.

Private parts

He cannot move his legs which are heavily bandaged. He lies on the bed unable to speak as nurses attend to him. His father, Mathew Sigei, stands beside him fidgeting.

“This is inhuman. It is the work of the devil,” mumbles Sigei.

His son is unable to comprehend why the man at Sigor shopping centre, Njoro attempted to burn him.

The Class Three Pupil at Sigor Primary School was admitted to the hospital on Saturday night with burns on his legs and private parts.

Sigei says the posho mill attendant alleged the boy had stolen the money and beat him up, before setting him on fire. “The posho mill attendant set my son on fire and told him to run home. His intention was to kill him,” Sigei says. He adds he has known the attendant for the past year he was employed at the posho mill.

“I have known this man for over a year. We were not close and we have no differences at all. I will hold him responsible for his actions assault on my son,” he notes.

The father of eight said the act was puzzling even if it were true that Geoffrey had taken the money.

He says he occasionally sent the boy to the posho mill to buy maize flour and cannot understand what enraged the attendant to inflict such pain on the child.

Stern action

“It pains me that this man decided to burn my son and put him through all this agony instead of informing me. I would have done all I can to pay him back,” Sigei notes.

He says he was not able to report the matter to police because he was attending to his son. “I have not been to the police station to report because my son was dying and the first instinct was to rush him to hospital and up to now, he cannot speak,” he observes.

Area police chief Ochokoroli Okadie said police are yet to receive the report over the incident so that they can apprehend the suspect.

Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri visited Kibet in hospital and urged the police to take stern action against his suspected attacker.