Five Killed in fire tragedy after domestic quarrel

BY ERIC LUNGAI

A family of five perished in a Sunday morning fire tragedy at Vindizi village, Central Maragoli location in Vihiga County after a man, 35, went berserk killing the wife and setting the kids on fire.

The 4am incident left the village in shock, as the father of the family was suspected to have set the house on fire using petrol after a little scuffle with his wife.

Neighbours who helped put off the raging fire said that they heard some commotion at around 2am on the night in the house, only to hear sounds of groaning children emanating from the direction, a few hours later.

“We heard a child cry and saw something like fire emanating from the house. We came out quickly with my husband and raised alarm, but then the whole house was already burning badly and there were no signs of anyone coming out from it alive,” said Sheila Kadesa, an immediate neighbour.

Kadesa told The Standard that when they finished putting off the fire, with other neighbours, they found the bodies of the deceased in the house.  

Confirming the incident, Vihiga police boss Alfred Angengo said that the initial investigations indicated that the man had killed his wife before setting the kids and himself on fire.

“We suspect that after the commotion in the house, the man went on and killed his wife and then set the children on fire before attempting to escape, but then was trapped next to the door and died due to suffocation,” said Mr Angengo.

The man identified as Gerishom Aluda was working in Kakamega and only came home on the Saturday evening, where he asked if the family had any paraffin.

“When he found out that there was no paraffin, he went on and purchased 5 litres of it which he hid in the house and that is what he used,” the police boss said.

The three children who perished were two girls aged 7 and 1 and a boy aged 6. Only one child who was sleeping in the sitting room was able to escape and is helping the police with investigations.

“After the man had killed the wife, he came to the sitting room and took two of the children to the bedroom, where he supposedly set them on fire. They were burned beyond recognition,” said Angengo.

The bodies of the five were taken to Vihiga District Hospital mortuary.