Tuesday night ended in tragedy for Mary Nyambura, a nurse at Heni Health Centre in Kinangop. She returned home around 7:30 p.m. and left her two children, Njeri, 4, and Ann, 6, playing in the house. She stepped out briefly to buy milk at a nearby shop. Within ten minutes, a fire broke out. It claimed the lives of her children and reduced her home to ashes.
The community is now in mourning. The house, located in the staff quarters, still smelled of burnt wood and plastic the next day. Water on the floor showed the neighbors’ desperate attempts to extinguish the fire. Despite their efforts, strong winds made it impossible to control the blaze. The fire quickly consumed the entire first floor, trapping the children inside.
Chief Health Officer Peris Mwangi was also at the scene. She explained that Ms. Nyambura had gone to the shop briefly. By the time she returned, the house was already on fire. The fire engine, arriving from Naivasha in Nakuru County, took over two hours to reach the scene. This delay fueled anger among the residents.
Nyandarua Woman Representative Faith Gitau expressed frustration. She stressed the need for fire equipment in each sub-county. “This is a painful loss. Firefighting equipment is essential, not a luxury,” she said.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire.
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