A gospel artiste from Nairobi who suffered severe burn injuries after she was allegedly attacked and set ablaze in Mwiki has painfully recounted the horrifying moments leading to the incident.
Speaking from her hospital bed at Kenyatta National Hospital, Rachel Wandeto narrated how a group of men allegedly confronted her before dousing her with petrol and setting her on fire.
Writhing in pain in a video that has since circulated widely on social media, Wandeto said the attackers accused her of benefiting alone from her political support.
“I was from my place taking luggage to another woman,” Wandeto said.
“I met a group of men who had been following me. They were telling me that I have decided to be eating the government’s money alone.”
She said the men surrounded her and forced her to continue walking before attacking her at the end of the road.
“They encircled me and asked me to keep walking,” she said.
“At the end of the road, they dragged me, poured petrol on me and lit it. Then they ran away.”
Wandeto, a gospel musician from Mwiki in Kasarani, became widely known earlier this year after tattooing President William Ruto’s face on her chest, alongside the words “Tutam”- interpreted to mean “Two Terms” -and his name on parts of her body.
According to her relatives, the attackers claimed she had received money and favours from the President because of her vocal support and public displays of loyalty.
Family members said the assailants demanded a share of the alleged benefits, but when she told them she had nothing, they attacked her.
The attackers allegedly poured petrol on her body, set her hair ablaze and fled, leaving her with extensive burns.
She was initially rushed to Uzima Uhai Hospital before being transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital for specialised treatment after doctors confirmed she had suffered approximately 70 per cent burns.
Photos and videos showing the extent of her injuries have circulated online, triggering widespread condemnation and calls for justice from Kenyans, religious leaders and public figures.
Among those who expressed sympathy was gospel artiste Karangu Muraya, who joined other Kenyans in condemning the attack and calling for urgent investigations.
The National Police Service has since confirmed that investigations into the incident are underway.
Police spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga said the attack was among three serious incidents reported within Nairobi over the past 24 hours.
“The National Police Service strongly condemns three incidents reported within the past 24 hours in the Nairobi region,” Nyaga said in a statement.
Referring to Wandeto’s case, Nyaga said preliminary investigations suggest the attack may have been politically motivated.
Police said a specialised team from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations has taken over the matter as authorities intensify efforts to identify and arrest the attackers.
