Man kills self, burns property worth millions

By Antony Gitonga

A man who found out he was HIV positive doused himself in petrol and set himself ablaze in Naivasha.

His suicide mission went out of hand after the fire he started spread to nearby houses in KCC slums, destroying 150 houses and property worth millions of shillings.

Scores of tenants sustained injuries, as they tried to escape. An estimated 600 people were left homeless during the incident at the sprawling village, located near the Nairobi-Nakuru highway. Majority of the affected are flower farm workers.

Neighbours said the deceased, who was a carpenter, had allegedly fallen out with his girlfriend.

Ms Teresia Moraa, one of the neighbours, said the deceased appeared devastated when he arrived home from hospital.

"We noticed him along the highway trying to throw himself at speeding vehicles, but he could not," she said.

Moraa added that the middle-aged man set himself ablaze at around 11pm, saying he could not live with the disease. Ms Felistas Kioko from the Kenya Red Cross said they were planning to assist the affected with non-food items.

Speaking on the telephone, Naivasha OCPD Ernest Oponyo said they had started investigation.

"We have heard the suicide version, but we are investigating all angles before making a conclusion," he said.

The man’s body, burnt beyond recognition, was taken to Naivasha District Hospital mortuary.