Fire incident/AI illustration
A wave of separate but tragic incidents across Murang’a, Kiambu and Kisii counties has left families in mourning as police launch investigations into a child’s death in a house fire, a suspected murder of a woman, and a man found dead in his home under unclear circumstances.
In Kiarutara, Gatanga, Murang’a County, a three-year-old boy was killed after a fire broke out in a house where he had been sleeping.
Police said the incident occurred on Sunday evening in Itikarua village, Gatakaini sub-location, Ngambuya location. The blaze engulfed the house while the child was inside.
His remains were recovered after firefighters contained the fire and were taken to the mortuary pending a postmortem examination. The cause of the fire is yet to be established, with investigations ongoing, police said.
In a separate incident in Kibichoi, Kiambu County, police are probing the death of a 57-year-old man whose body was discovered inside his house long after he had died.
Officers said neighbours raised concern after noticing a foul smell coming from the home, prompting a check that led to the grim discovery on Sunday.
The deceased, identified as Daniel Kingara, was found lying on his bed in a decomposed state. Police said it was not immediately clear when he died. His body was moved to the mortuary for autopsy.
Meanwhile, detectives in Kisii South Sub-County are investigating the murder of a 50-year-old woman whose body was found inside her home near the Riana area.
The deceased, Norah Bitengo Morema, was discovered on Sunday morning after her sister-in-law went to check on her around 9:00 a.m. following unusual silence.
Police said the house door was locked from the outside without a padlock. When the sister-in-law entered, she found Norah lying on the floor, covered with a Maasai shuka.
Neighbours who responded confirmed she was already dead.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the woman had reportedly quarrelled with her son the previous night over a missing axe she had recently purchased.
Police said the body bore visible injuries on the head and face, while the right leg was broken at the knee, pointing to a possible violent attack.
The body was moved to Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital's mortuary, where it awaits a postmortem. Police have intensified investigations, with the son now considered a key person of interest.
He had not been traced by Tuesday, and efforts to locate him are ongoing, police said.
