Woman sets house ablaze while husband, 2 children were asleep

A woman from Kathaia village Embu County is accused of setting her family's three-bedroom house on fire on Sunday night following what is believed to be a domestic altercation.

Her husband Martin Njeru Gicovi and two children were inside the house when Beatrice Mueni is said to have committed the act.

According to reports, the couple had quarrelled before Njeru, along with their two children went to bed.

Mueni claimed she had stepped out to collect clothes from the clothesline when the fire broke out.

Njeru recounted how he was jolted awake by the smell of smoke and discovered the house was ablaze.

He managed to escape through a window and then bravely returned to rescue his 12-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter.

"I was fast asleep when I smelled something burning. I woke up to find the house on fire. I had to break a window to escape and then went back to save my children," Njeru explained. He estimated the damage caused by the fire to be around Ksh. 90,000.

As the fire raged, neighbors responded to Njeru's cry for help, rushing to the scene to assist in extinguishing the flames.

During this time, one of the residents reported seeing Mueni running towards the Ena Police Post. It was later revealed that she had gone to report that she had been assaulted by her husband.

The situation escalated when angry residents, who had followed Mueni to the police post, confronted her, baying for her blood. Police intervened, rescuing Mueni from the mob and placing her in custody.

In a dramatic twist, Mueni is said to have confessed to starting the fire, claiming that she only intended to destroy her property.

Police later visited the scene of the fire to assess the damage. An investigation into the incident is now underway.

The local community is calling for legal action against Mueni, whom they have labelled a potential killer.

The villagers are urging families to seek peaceful resolutions to domestic conflicts to prevent such dangerous incidents from occurring again.