Woman, 23, electrocuted, her mother and minor injured in Kilifi tragedy

Electrocution menace

A 23-year-old woman was electrocuted in a tragic incident in Furuzi, Malindi, Kilifi County.

Police and witnesses said Slama Buru was hanging clothes on a drying line when she touched a live, exposed wire that had been connected there.

Her mother, who was carrying a seven-month-old baby, rushed to her rescue in vain.

The two were burned and seriously injured while attempting to pull the deceased woman from the scene, witnesses said.

The rescuer did not know that attempting to use bare hands was dangerous and could also lead to death.

Officials recommend the use of a dry stick during rescue efforts in such circumstances.

The two were rushed to the hospital and admitted in serious condition, police said.

Kenya Power officials and police visited the scene and said investigations were ongoing.

The body of the woman was moved to the mortuary pending further procedures.

This is the latest such incident, amid an ongoing campaign to address the menace of electrocution.

Officials blame illegal power connections for the trend, while others cite the use of unqualified technicians during the wiring process.

Kenya Power recommends the use of certified electricians for electrical works, noting this also enables compensation in the event of such tragedies.

There is an ongoing campaign to address the issue by correcting illegal power connections.

In a separate incident, a man suffocated and died while cleaning a family borehole in Rioma, Kisii County.

Police said two men had been contracted to clean the borehole when one of them, Jared Minyega, 32, descended into it using a rope.

He later attempted to climb back up using the rope but fell back after suffocating, his colleague said.

Officials from the local county government were called to the scene and retrieved the body, which was taken to the mortuary pending an autopsy.

Police said investigations into the tragedy are ongoing.

Elsewhere in Karaini, Kirinyaga County, a man was exhumed and reburied elsewhere in line with his wishes and following a court order.

The man, identified as Peter Runji Kamunjiga, died on November 15, 2025, and was buried a week later at his niece’s home in Gitwe village. His family insisted he had wanted to be buried in Kithinthuri village, Embu County, where he was reburied.

Villagers gathered at the sites as officials oversaw the exercise on February 3, 2026.