A sombre mood engulfed Taachasis village in Nakuru Town West after a seven-year-old girl was burnt beyond recognition, while two other children sustained burns after their house caught fire.
The victim, Mary Munene, was sleeping when the fierce fire gutted down her grandparents' house on Sunday night.
It is suspected that the house caught fire following an argument between the elderly couple.
"One of them knocked down a burning charcoal stove that caused the fire," said Wilson Lagat, who was among the residents who responded to the family's distress call.
But the couple later claimed that the fire could have been caused by an electric fault.
Nakuru Town West Sub-county police commander Patrick Olonyi said that by the time they arrived at the scene, the timber house was engulfed in flames.
The police boss said they were investigating the cause of the fire.
It was not immediately clear what the couple was fighting over, but neighbours said wrangles at the homestead were frequent.
Those who responded to the distress call said the couple was unable to provide information on the whereabouts of the children.
The neighbours had rescued the two children when they heard feeble cries for help coming from the burning house.
"It is unfortunate that we did not save the life of the minor because we had no information on her whereabouts. The couple, too, was not sure if the children were inside the house or had left during the commotion."
Firefighters from the county government and officers from Kaptembwo Police Station came across the body after putting out the fire.
Police had to rescue the couple from a crowd that was baying for their blood.
Kapkures chief Rashid Alijab said the two children were treated at a private hospital and discharged.
