A family in Maji Mazuri Village in Lugari Sub-county, Kakamega County, is grieving over the loss of their 30-year-old daughter, who died after her husband set her and her two kids on fire on Friday evening.
Sylvia Atemo, who has been living in Kawangware Kibiria in Nairobi, is said to have succumbed to serious injuries from burning while receiving treatment at the Kenyatta National Hospital this morning.
Her father, Jackson Indonde, said Sylvia’s neighbours narrated to him the agonizing ordeal their third-born, together with her two-year-old and three-month-old kids, went through at the hands of her husband, who is now at large.
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“They had an argument before her husband stabbed her. My daughter lost consciousness before the man poured petrol on her and set her and her two kids on fire. Neighbours who were peeping through the window said they saw her burning on a chair while the man was hiding in a corner, unmoved,” he said.
Mr Indonde further said the house was locked from the inside and the neighbours’ attempts to call them out were futile.
“They were forced to break in and found my daughter severely burned but alive. The two-year-old wasn’t badly affected, but the three-month-old had inhaled too much carbon monoxide. The three were rushed to Kenyatta Hospital,” he added.
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Sylvia’s cousin, Mr Maina, confirmed that her kin went through a lot that fateful night.
“She hadn’t even brought her husband home yet. They had an argument before the man stabbed my sister with a knife. The husband, afraid that Sylvia would report him, went and bought petrol and set her and her two children on fire,” he said.
The deceased’s mother said her daughter has been having a rough time getting along with her husband.
“They have not even been together for long. The older child belongs to her ex-husband, while the younger child belongs to the husband who murdered her. There was even a time she called me over the same,” she said.
Mr Indonde and his wife are currently at Kenyatta Hospital Mortuary where the body of their daughter is lying as investigations commence. The two minors are receiving treatment, and their grandfather says there is the hope of them surviving.
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Sam Oduor is the editor-in-chief at the Western Kenya Times who leverages the power of the Internet in telling stories that shape opinions.
