This archive report was first published on 11 July 2019.
Elizabeth Wangui Kimunya, a 76-year-old woman who survived the 2008 Kiambaa church fire, has passed away after a long illness. The fire, which occurred on January 1, 2008, left at least 28 people dead.
Kimunya's death was confirmed on July 6, 2019, at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) due to tumours in her stomach and depression.
According to neighbours, Kimunya's life was forever changed by the fire incident. She became depressed and dependent on her relatives for everything.
Her son, Philip Kimunya, was 16 years old when the fire occurred. He was later found recovering from fire injuries at MTRH, but his mother never recovered from the ordeal.
Kimunya's family is yet to be compensated or receive counselling from the government for the trauma they underwent during the post-election violence.
Her son, Philip Kimunya, bears scars on his hands and legs as a reminder of the fateful day. He said his mother had been preaching peace in the region since 2008, praying not to see a recurrence of the post-poll chaos again.
The 2007-2008 post-election violence left more than 1,133 people dead and over 600,000 displaced from their homes in Rift Valley.
