38-year-old man dies after setting himself on fire in Lumakanda, Kakamega

Detectives are investigating an incident in Lumakanda, Kakamega County, where a 38-year-old man died after setting himself on fire.

Police said Moffat Munubi set himself ablaze in Bendera area on February 4.

Witnesses reported that he arrived home carrying a jerrican of petrol and confronted his wife inside their house.

He reportedly struck his wife with a hammer, injuring her.

The woman and her two young children were rescued from the house during the incident, while the deceased remained inside.

He later set himself on fire, Western regional police commander Issa Mohamud said.

The fire also destroyed the house.

Locals reported that the man had experienced regular domestic disputes with his wife.

There was a standoff between villagers and police over the removal of the body to the mortuary pending an autopsy.

The locals said it was a tradition not to remove such a body from the scene and that it should be buried at night.

Police ultimately removed the body.

Elsewhere, in Githumu, Muranga County, John Maina Gitau, 80, died in a fire incident.

Police said the cause of the fire was not immediately known. The body was moved to the mortuary for an autopsy and other procedures.

Meanwhile, in Langata, Nairobi, an 84-year-old woman collapsed and died while taking a shower.

Family members and police said Sibia Moraa was in the bathroom when she collapsed on February 4, 2026.

Her body was found lying on the floor some time later and was moved to the mortuary pending an autopsy.

In Garissa’s Windsor area, Mohamed Ibrahim, 30, was found dead in his house.

The cause of death was not immediately known, and the body was moved to the mortuary pending an autopsy.

In Kiambu’s Theta area, a one-year-old boy died after coughing inside his house.

The cause of death was not immediately established, and the body was moved to the mortuary pending an autopsy.

Meanwhile, a man was electrocuted at a construction site in Embakasi, Nairobi.

Police and workers at the scene said James Mwangi, 25, was found dead on the second floor of a structure while holding an electric cable passing through the house.

Officials said the cable had been illegally connected.

Police were called to the scene and moved the body to the mortuary pending an autopsy.

The incident highlights safety concerns at construction sites, where dozens of workers die annually. Records indicate that such cases are under investigation.