Tragedy as fire kills elderly woman and her five grandchildren in Kilifi, Kenya

Shocked villagers view the debris of the home of a 58-year-old woman at Challani village in Kaloleni constituency, Kilifi County on Sunday, December, 11 2016. The house was razed by a mysterious fire killing the woman and her five grandchildren. PHOTO: MAARUFU MOHAMED/STANDARD.

 

An elderly woman together with her five grandchildren from Challani village in Kaloleni Constituency, Kilifi County perished in a night fire tragedy while they were asleep.

 

Fifty eight year-old Sidi Mweni with her grandchildren Baraka Kalume (8 years), Furaha Kalume (6 years), twins Pauline Kelvin and Nancy Kelvin aged one and a half years and Ibra Mweni aged nine months died in one of the corners in their grandmother's arms.

It is alleged that the incident happened moments after the old woman had retired to bed after a late night prayer at a village church located 10 meters away from her house. The cause of the fire is not established.

Senior security officers led by Kilifi County commissioner Joseph Keter visited the family and condoled with them.

Accompanied by Kaloleni Deputy County Commissioner Fred Ndunga and County Coordinating Commander Elisha Ng'etich, Keter called for an urgent public meeting with the people who were flocking the family at a nearby church.

He said police have launched investigations following the incident and asked the family and the community to cooperate with investigating officers by providing required information when called for and also to volunteer to tell what happened.

"We have come to condole with you and we are sad that the incident has happened the way it has happened and no one feels good when a beloved one died. Investigating officers have started their investigations. We want to know what transpired from yesterday morning to today morning. We are all feeling the pain of the losing all the family members and therefore all what we require from you is should cooperation with officers on the ground," said Keter.

The County commissioner said the government will support the family with food as they prepare for the burial.

Kaloleni MP Gunga Mwinga condoled with the family and asked them to be patient as investigations go on.

Kistao Mweni who lost his son said he heard somebody screaming and he rushed to the house he saw a huge fire burning the house. He tried to put off the fire but he couldn’t manage.

"Neighbours came and we managed to put off the fire only to find my mother dead in a corner together with her grandchildren, my son Ibra together with my brother's children whom she had curdled were also dead. It is really painful," he said.

Mweni said they had agreed with his wife to stop breastfeeding their son and the only way to do that was to let the boy sleep with his grandmother.