Two children aged 13 and 5 burn to death after mother locked them in house to go drink alcohol

By , K24 Digital
On Sat, 24 Oct, 2020 12:22 | < 1 min read
A Friday night fire killed two siblings aged 13 and 5. The brothers hail from Gachagi slum in Thika. [PHOTO: PAUL NJAU | K24 DIGITAL]
A Friday night fire killed two siblings aged 13 and 5. The brothers hail from Gachagi slum in Thika. [PHOTO: PAUL NJAU | K24 DIGITAL]
A Friday night fire killed two siblings aged 13 and 5. The brothers hail from Gachagi slum in Thika. [PHOTO: PAUL NJAU | K24 DIGITAL]

By Paul Njau in Kiambu County

Two male siblings aged 13 and 5 years old from Gachagi slum in Thika Town Constituency, Kiambu County died by fire on Friday night after their mother locked them in the house to go binge on alcohol, area chief, Josephat Waithaka, has told K24 Digital.

It is suspected a lit candle caused the fire, which killed the brothers identified as Ian Mwangi and Gibson Gatere.

“The children’s mother, Mary Wanjiru, had locked them in the house Friday night, and left for binge drinking. When the fire broke out, neighbours attempted to rescue the brothers, but they collapsed and died right on the doorstep, shortly after the entry point was brought down by neighbours,” said Chief Waithaka.

The administrator said when neighbours located Wanjiru and informed her about her sons’ deaths, she was “too drunk to understand anything”.

Wanjiru is in lawful custody at a Thika police post, awaiting arraignment for causing death by negligence, said Chief Waithaka.

The bodies of Ian Mwangi and Gibson Gatere were moved to the General Kago Funeral Home.