Young Superhero: How 6-year-old boy rescued two babies from burning house

Richard Kitonga is just six years old, but he is not so little at heart.

A week ago, their maisonette house caught fire while his widowed mother, Damaris Makau, was away at a church service.

A child of his age can only do so much about safety measures during such fire accidents, but the last born of three seems smarter than his age.

His mother Damaris said: “Tulitoka na kijana yangu kwa duka nimnunulie sweet lakini tukapata duka imefungwa so tukarudi na akaingia kwa gate na nikafunga gate nikaenda kanisa.”

Richard stated: “Nikirudi nikapata watoto wako nje, nikaona moto na nikasema tupitie pale tuite mom.”

With nobody to run to for help, Richard took his baby nieces – two and four year old Pendo and Christine - and carefully helped them escape the flames through a small opening of the barbed wire fence.

Puzzled by Richard’s ability to think on his feet at his age, neighbours responded to his call for help to put out the fire.

David Kitua, a neighbor, said: “Tulikuja tukapata moto ni mwingi kwa sitting room na hakuna kitu ilikuwa inaonekana ila moto mkubwa na tukasaidiana watu wote wa kanisa.”

Damaris added: “Nilipokuja nikapatana na moto. Moto ilikuwa sitting room na wakati huo sikuwa naona watoto lakini jirani mmoja akaniambia wako kwake.”

Richard had already taken the two to a neighbour’s house for safety.

“Tukipitia ndio nilishikanga hawa wasigwarwe…tukipitianga kwa wire..niliumia pua yangu,” he said.

Little Richard says he lost very personal stuff to the fire: “Vitabu zangu, bag yangu, na text books zangu zilichomeka.”

His bravery act melted hearts of many in the neighbourhood and immediately, neighbours and relatives formed a WhatsApp group for a funds-drive to help his widowed mother get back valuables she had lost to the fire as well as rebuild part of the house that was destroyed.

Dr Timothy Kilonzo, Chairman, Timboni Community Forum: “We had one small boy whom we looked as a hero, therefore later we had to call the community and we sat with the family. Contributions began and so far we have raised close to Ksh.350,000…so we are short of about Ksh.700,000…reconstruction began immediately.”

As innocent as he is, through his inner strength and kindness, Richard, at his age, has left a permanent mark in peoples’ hearts.