Rangwe MP Lilian Gogo’s house torched by unknown people

Rangwe Member of Parliament Lilian Gogo has called on police to investigate and arrest suspects behind an incident in which her house was set ablaze by unknown people in East Gem Ward on Friday night.

The house was allegedly torched while the legislator was in Nairobi attending the funeral events of the late ODM leader and former Prime Minister Raila Amollo Odinga.

Family members said the inferno destroyed household items and personal property of unknown value.

 Police have since launched investigations to establish the cause and circumstances under which the fire started.

Rangwe Sub-County Police Commander Magdaline Chebet confirmed the incident, saying preliminary investigations had ruled out an electrical fault as the possible cause.

“There was a blackout around the village at the time the fire broke out. We have, however, started investigations to determine what caused the incident,” said Chebet.

She added that no one was at home when the fire began, and that the main gate to the compound was locked when officers arrived at the scene.

“We found neighbours gathered outside the compound, but they were unable to access the premises because the gate was locked,” she said.

Police officers responding to the distress call broke through the gate and tried to extinguish the flames using water drawn from a nearby borehole.

“The officers managed to save a few items from the kitchen, but most of the property had already been destroyed by the time we arrived,” Chebet added.

MP Gogo said she received news of the fire while participating in Raila Odinga’s funeral programme in Nairobi.

“I was attending Baba’s funeral programme when I got the call informing me that my house was on fire. I am still in shock and confused about what happened,” she said.

The legislator appealed to the police to conduct a thorough investigation and bring to justice those responsible for what she termed a deliberate act of arson.

Police sources said the MP had previously requested additional security.

According to Commander Chebet, Gogo already had a male bodyguard and had recently asked for a female officer to join her protection team.

“We were still processing her request for an additional officer when the fire incident occurred,” Chebet said.

Authorities have since secured the property as investigations continue to determine whether the fire was an accident or a deliberate act of sabotage.