A family in Kyumbi area, Makutano is grieving the loss of two children who perished after a fire razed down their rental house last Friday.
23-year-old Mary Mbula, a single mother attended to her two children aged 3 years and 7 months before retreating to a shop where she works leaving her two boys in her rented mabati house.
According to a police report seen by K24 Digital, Ruth Mutheu, the caretaker of the rental houses at Sterizo area Kyumbi Junction, reported the fire incidence to police.
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Police officers confirmed that the house was completely blazed with two children who were trapped in their house namely Travis Musyoka and Trevor Matheka.
Mysteriously, the fire didn’t spread to the neighbouring houses but burned down everything in Mbula's house, leaving the young mother distressed.
Police were assisted by members of the public to put out the fire by breaking through a neighbour’s house before rescuing the children who were rushed to Machakos level 5 Referral hospital.
Once at the hospital, 7-month-old Trevor Matheka was pronounced dead on arrival while his 3-year old brother Travis Musyoka was admitted in serious condition but succumbed hours later to injuries.
When K24 Digital visited the family on Wednesday, Mary Mbula, hadn't come to terms with the reality that her children were dead.
Mbula couldn’t speak but wept relentlessly as neighbours consoled her.
Her Zipporah Syombua Mutuku couldn’t also hide her tears as she narrated the ordeal that left them devastated with many questions lingering in their minds.
“I received a phone call at around 1600hrs from a friend that my daughter's house was on fire. I rushed there and to my shock, I couldn’t see my grandchildren and the house was no more.” Syombua said.
“We do not know how the fire broke out. My daughter said she gave food to my grandchildren and went back to the shop where she works, only to be called by neighbours minutes later that her house was on fire,” Syombua added.
Confirming the incident, Kinanie- Mathatani division Assistant County Commissioner Asha Omar said it was a sad incident and called on parents to be vigilant with their children during this one week school holiday.
“We are yet to know the exact cause of the fire. But Investigators will unravel and give us answers to our questions. But I would like to caution parents against leaving children behind closed doors or leaving minors under the care of their young siblings,” Omar warned.
Transport CAS Wavinya Ndeti through her office donated a bed, mattress, a blanket, food and a jiko asking other well-wishers to support Mbula where possible.
On the other hand, area MCA Mark Muendo alias Kingangi and also Machakos Assembly Majority leader confirmed the county had set Kshs.150 million during the 2021/22 financial year budget for emergencies and requested the Machakos executive to build fire stations in its eight sub-counties.
“This highway needs more money to be set aside for emergencies due to high number of accidents and fires that occur. The county government needs to buy a fully equipped fire engine,” Kingangi said.
The bodies have been preserved at the Machakos Level 5 morgue awaiting autopsy.
