A 35-year-old woman in Kakamega County is reported to have locked herself and two children inside their house and set it on fire after a fight with her husband.
The woman since identified as Hellen Vuyanzi and her two children Wisdom Hosea, 1, and Chris Baraka, 4, died in the fire.
According to a report by the Nation on Monday, January 3, 2022, the woman poured petrol on the house before lighting the fire.
Locals at the home of a woman who burnt herself with two children inside their house at Lugari station village Kakamega County. |Courtesy| Nation|
The fight between the two is said to have resulted from suspicion that the husband, only identified as Tom had an affair with another woman.
Hellen's eldest son Nathaniel Upendo, 10, managed to flee the house and raised an alarm attracting the neighbours.
Confirming the incident, Lugari Sub County Police Commander Bernard Ngungu revealed that Hellen and Tom had been involved in a brawl earlier on Saturday, January 1, at the Lugari Station trading centre.
“The woman had suspected her husband was having an affair with another woman and confronted the party. She caused a commotion before she left for home,” he said.
“There is clearly an element of a love triangle in the incident. The woman got furious after she was called by a friend who informed her that her husband was having an affair with another woman. We are yet to establish whether the flammable substance was petrol,” the police boss added.
Responding to Upendo's alarm, neighbours rushed to the house only to find it engulfed in fire.
Stephen Okila, a relative, said that neighbours attempted to put out the fire but were unsuccessful.
“They found the whole house was on fire and the doors had been locked from the inside. This frustrated efforts to rescue the woman and her children who were in one of the rooms” Okila said.
“The family members are discussing with elders and trying to contact the relatives of the woman on what had happened but other preparations including the burial can be arranged,” he added.
Elders and villagers who had convened at the compound stated that the incident had cast a dark cloud on what they hoped would be a good start to the year.
They expressed their sadness at the demise of the mother and her two children.
“We are so saddened by what has happened. Our Christmas festivities had gone on smoothly and we had all ushered in the New Year with hope and great expectation,” an elder said.
Ngungu revealed that police have since launched investigations into the incident.
