Arsonist torches a Nyumba Kumi official house
Police officers at Lumakanda station in Lugari sub county are investigating an incident in which household property worth hundreds of shillings belonging to a community policing official was reduced to ashes on Sunday.
Lumakanda OCS Mr. William Oyugi told the press, the fire whose cause was yet to be established destroyed property of Mr. Washington Mutsotso, the Sub County community policing chairperson at his residence in Munyama village, Munyuki sub location.
“None of the family members was on the compound as most of them were said to be away in church when the afternoon tragedy occurred,” said Oyugi who, however, clarified Mutsotso was away attending to some disputes at a neighbouring village.
The alarm was, however, raised by the victim’s second wife, Mrs. Éclair Mutsotso, who lives a few meters away.
Speaking to press on the scene, Éclair recalled how she saw a huge cloud of smoke emanating from her co-wife’s house prompting her to rush to the scene before she raised the alarm which attracted people.
“While coming downstream where I had gone to fetch water, I saw a huge smoke coming from my partner’s house and quickly rushed to the scene where I found the house on fire,” said Éclair.
Combined effort from the neighbours saw the inferno put out but with only a few household items rescued.
Though nobody has claimed responsibility, it is, however, suspected the malicious arsonist must have lit the house through a broken window pane on the bedroom side of the building.
“The arsonist must have accessed the house via the broken window glass and lit one of the mattresses in the master bedroom before it eventually spread to the rest of building,” claimed Éclair.
The first wife, Mrs. Emily Mutsotso, was too devastated to speak before the press.
Besides the destroyed building, the fire saw the family lose several bags of maize and other foodstuffs, clothes, kitchenware, furniture and important documents, including children school documents.
Though Mutsotso has estimated cost of the damage to a tune of Khs. 500, 000 the OCS has, however, appealed to the public to remain calm as security officers conclude investigations into the matter.
“For now we cannot ascertain the exact cost of the damage,” stated the OCS.
