This archive report was first published on 23 August 2020.
On August 19, 2020, David Onyango, a 30-year-old welder from Kisii town, received distressing news that his wife and two children had fallen victims of an inferno at their home in Nubia Estate, Kisumu County.
His wife, Carolyne Akinyi, 24, was rushed to Christa Marianne Hospital, while their daughters, Melody Akoth, 8, and Anne Atieno, 4, were taken to the Kisii County Hospital with severe burns. Unfortunately, the two children succumbed to their injuries on the same day of admission, while Akinyi died the following night.
Onyango, who was in shock, immediately travelled back to Kisii and found his wife and children writhing in pain in hospital. He managed to speak with his wife at her hospital bed, where she informed him that she had woken up and gone to the toilet, only to find their house on fire and went in to rescue their children but got burnt in the process.
Onyango now faces the challenge of organising for the funeral of his wife and two daughters, as well as paying medical bills accrued in the two hospitals. He had lost everything they owned in the fire.
The caretaker of the premises, Benson Oduor, described the incident as 'very sad.' Kenya Power Company's technical team visited the scene of the fire but left without speaking to anyone. The company is yet to give a report on whether the fire was caused by an electric fault.
