Retired KDF officer dies in Mlolongo house fire

Youth scavenging for scrap metal from the scene where mabati houses were razed in Mlolongo, Machakos county, on November 8./GEORGE OWITI

A retired military officer died following a fire incident in Mlolongo, Machakos County. Fredrick Itambo, 70, was burnt beyond recognition in the fire, which occurred at around 5.30 pm on Friday.

Athi River East Subcounty police commander Anderson Mbae said a village elder reported the incident to Mlolongo police station shortly after it happened.

"It occurred on 7/11/2025 at around 5.30 pm within the Kasina area in Mlolongo Township," Mbae told The Star on Saturday.

He said Joseph Muinde, a village elder of Zone E, reported that while in his area, he heard screams. Upon rushing to the scene, he found a seven-room mabati structure, occupied by tenants, engulfed in flames.

Police and firefighters from the County Government of Machakos, together with members of the public, worked to rescue residents and evacuate households. Mbae said the fire started in one of the rooms and quickly spread, destroying the entire building.

"The fire was extinguished, and the body of Frederick Itambo, 70, was found burnt beyond recognition. The value of the damage and the cause of the fire have not yet been conclusively established," Mbae said.

The police processed the scene and removed the body to City Mortuary, awaiting postmortem, while investigations into the incident are ongoing.

Itambo’s brother, Francis Muthama, told The Star that his late brother had acted as a caretaker of the razed houses and lived in one of the ten-by-ten mabati structures.

He had retired from the Kenya Defence Forces several years ago and relied on his pension, supplemented by rent from tenants.

Muthama said he learned of the tragedy through a phone call from a neighbour. "I was informed on the phone that the houses had been razed. I asked about my brother’s whereabouts and was told he had been seen in the morning," he said.

It was only later in the evening, after the fire was contained, that Muthama was informed that his brother had been burnt inside his room.

"I kept calling for updates. I sent one of my sons and my sister-in-law to the scene to confirm if the man who had died was indeed my brother. They unfortunately confirmed this before the police removed the body to City Mortuary," he said.