Twelve children left home alone narrowly escaped death on Thursday evening when a fire gutted their one-room house at St Mary’s village in Kiharu Constituency, Murang’a County.
Neighbours saved the children as fire fighters later put out the blaze.
Mr David Maina, a neighbour said the fire started at 5pm and destroyed property in the house.
“Were it not for the fire fighters, the fire could have spread to all the other rental rooms,” Mr. Maina told the Nation.
COOK
The fire started after a two-year-old boy lit a stove to cook, as he was hungry, and the stove overturned, one of the children said.
The fire spread in the room, burning clothes, furniture and cereals.
The children, aged between one-and-a-half to 13 years live with their grandmother in the single room. Their three mothers are sisters.
Their grandmother, Ms Mary Wambui came home at 8pm after she was informed about the fire.
She said she was at work in Mukuyu market when the incident happened.
SCHOOL
She is employed as a bar maid and has to work long hours to take care of her grandchildren as her three daughters had left them in her care.
Her daughters are also barmaids, she added and some of the children do not go to school as she cannot afford to pay their fees.
“I have no money. I am even forced to come home drunk to give me courage to face life and my grandchildren,” the staggering granny said.
She said property worth Sh120,000 was destroyed by the fire and she has nowhere else to go.
Confirming the incident, Njoguini Chief Samuel Irungu said he had summoned the three sisters and their mother.
He said he will order them to take the children to school or face penalties prescribed by the law.