Boy, 10, dies in house fire in Molo

Scenes where John Ndegwa, 10 died in a house fire in Turi Farm in Molo Nakuru County on October 6,2026. [Ken Gachuhi, Standard]

A ten-year-old boy died on Monday night in a house fire incident reported in Turi Farm in Molo, Nakuru County.

John Ndegwa, a Grade Four pupil at Turi Sulgwita Primary School, was burnt beyond recognition after their house caught fire at around 11:30 pm in a suspected electrical fault.

His mother, Grace Waithera, was inconsolable as the police and residents retrieved the remains of the child from the burnt house.

Next to the house were carcasses of cows and chickens that were burnt alive in the inferno.

"I have lost my son and nearly every other possession I had. I don't know where to start," said Waithera.

Lucy Njeri, her sister, recounted how an explosion woke them up only to find the house already on fire.

"We heard a loud explosion followed by screaming at around 11:30 pm. I rushed to my sister-in-law's house but couldn't get inside to save Ndegwa. The flames were too fierce," said Njeri.

She explained that neighbours arrived in numbers, but their efforts to put it out were fruitless as the fire quickly spread to other rooms.

"We were unable to salvage anything from the house. Next to it were cattle which also died in the fire. We alerted the fire department, but they didn't arrive," said Njeri.

Jack Mwangi, a resident, noted that the power supply had been unstable for several hours and was likely the cause of the fire.

"The lights were on and off, forcing many people to sleep early. We are almost certain that when the power was back, it caused a surge in the house leading to this deadly fire," said Mwangi.

He, however, faulted the Nakuru County government for failing to respond to the distress call, urging the leadership to procure another fire engine for Molo and the surrounding sub-counties.

The county government under the previous administration had procured a fire engine that was stationed in Molo but was burnt down by criminals who infiltrated peaceful June 2025 protests.

"The only available fire engine is in Nakuru. The fire engine arriving late would be excused for the distance, but they didn't even show up. Molo people pay taxes and should receive the services they need. The burnt fire engine should be replaced," said Mwangi.

Since the incident, many residents and commercial establishments have been left helpless during such disasters, sometimes relying on private fire engines based miles