A woman from Kathaia village in Embu County is under suspicion for setting her family’s three bedroom house on fire on Sunday night, following what is believed to be a domestic dispute.
The blaze occurred while her husband, Martin Njeru Gicovi, and their two children were inside the house.
Reports indicate that the couple had quarreled earlier in the evening, and Njeru, along with their 12-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter, went to bed.
Beatrice Mueni, the suspect, claimed she had stepped outside to gather clothes from the line when the fire started.
However, Njeru reported being awoken by the smell of smoke and discovering the house ablaze.
He managed to escape through a window and then re-entered the burning home to rescue his children.
“I was fast asleep when I smelled something burning. I woke up to find the house on fire.
I had to break a window to escape and then went back to save my children,” Njeru explained. He estimated the damage to be around sh. 90,000.
As the fire spread, neighbors rushed to assist Njeru, helping to extinguish the flames. During this time, one resident saw Mueni running towards the Ena Police Post.
It later emerged that Mueni had gone there to report that she had been assaulted by her husband.
This led to a tense confrontation with an angry mob, who had followed Mueni to the police post, demanding retribution.
Police intervened to protect Mueni and took her into custody.
In a surprising turn, Mueni confessed to starting the fire, claiming her intention was to destroy her property rather than harm anyone.
Authorities have since visited the scene to assess the damage, and an investigation is ongoing.
The local community is calling for legal action against Mueni, urging families to resolve conflicts peacefully to prevent such dangerous incidents.
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