Playing with fire has always been a national pastime in these parts

The petrol tanker fire killed 14 people at Malanga in Gem, Siaya County. [Olivia Odhiambo, Standard]

Yesterday, I woke up to news that a petrol tanker had exploded in the night, its hellish flames engulfing 13 poor souls and sending 11 to hospital in a critical condition. It wasn’t the first time this is happening, and it won’t be the last.

I have suffered a burn or two over the years, nothing that required hospitalisation, if you disregard an incident from when I sat on a jiko as a toddler.