When Mercy saw flames rising and calls for help coming from her son’s house, her main priority was saving her son.
Trapped in a burning house, the Murati Kirima village in Meru County mom knew the only way to save him was to rush to the scene.
So, she grabbed his legs and pulled him out of the wooden house through a gap that had been left after his son plucked one of the wooden top fittings and got stuck in an attempt to escape.
As soon as she pulled him out, Mercy was shocked that his son sustained serious burns on the head.
“I was sleeping when I was startled awake by a massive cloud of smoke filled with flames. I rushed to open the door, but it was locked from the outside. As I called for help, I removed a piece of wood from the walls with my hand, injuring myself in the process. All of my belongings, including Ksh 6000, were destroyed in the fire,” the victim said.
According to Mercy, she suspects the arson attack was motivated by an ongoing legal battle with her late husband’s brothers over a land dispute.
“The brothers claim that my husband left me a larger parcel of land. They also argue that ownership of a tea farm on the same land should be transferred. There is no title deed to the land. All farm equipment and personal documents, including his brother’s Huduma number cards, were destroyed in the fire. My son does not smoke and does not use lantern lamps. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined,” Mercy said.
She said that with the ongoing court battles, she was unable to financially care for the rest of the children. She implored leaders to intervene.
Godfrey, a neighbor who took the victim to the hospital said the doctor asked a lot of questions before requesting them to pay for the victim’s admission.
“I was informed in the middle of the night that the victim had suffered severe burns and was asked to transport him to the hospital on my motorcycle. We were forced to return home because we didn’t have any money. Our motorcycle ran out of fuel on the way back, forcing us to spend the night outside in the cold,” Godfrey said.
Naomi, a resident said the victim’s house was new and close to completion. She said because electricity had not been connected, the victim relied on a chargeable lamp for lighting.
“I arrived just as his mother was pulling her out. He was wearing a burning jacket and rubbed himself on the ground to extinguish the flames. The house was nearly half-burned, and all efforts to extinguish the fire with soil were futile. The wounds of the victim had turned white. I request that he be returned to the hospital because the wounds are clearly visible, unlike the first time he was taken there,” Naomi said.
She said that the victim could have saved himself if the door hadn’t been locked from the outside. She implored the government to conduct thorough investigations and apprehend the perpetrators.
Another resident said that when the victim was taken to the hospital, he was informed that there were no medicines available.
“The community overwhelmingly voted for Governor Kiraitu Murungi, but he has done nothing. I strongly urge Governor Kiraitu Murungi to resign and allow other capable individuals to take over,” he said.
According to the Sub Area, there had never been a similar incident in the area. he said investigations must be carried out to determine whether the suspect was a member of the community or from elsewhere.
“We are also perplexed as to why the victim was released from the hospital without medication, Kiraitu Murungi’s government is failing to carry out its responsibilities,” he said.
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