Police in Kirinyaga County are investigating an incident where a widow’s house worth over KSh3.5 million was set on fire by unknown people in a suspected arson attack at Mikima-ini Village in Tebere Ward, Mwea-East Sub-County.

According to Esther Njeri, the owner of the homestead, the incident happened when he was in Mombasa County and she was preparing herself to come home for the burial of her father-in-law.

Njeri says she was called by her neighbour who informed her that the house was on fire.

“I did not know what to do, I just started crying because I did not know whether my children were in the house. I had requested the school to release them to attend the burial of their grandfather,” Njeri told this reporter.

Njeri says the incident was an arson attack as perpetrators first broke the windows of the house before setting it on fire.

The area residents, led by John Gachoki, say that they tried to put out the fire but their efforts proved futile.

Gachoki says that the county firefighters arrived late at the scene, when the house had been reduced to ashes.

Tebere Ward MCA Peter Karinga is now urging residents to help the police as they investigate the cause of the fire.

More to follow…