A 98-year-old woman died after a fire broke out in her house late Thursday night at Bishop Uwezo family home, Kimaeti area, Kimaeti Sub-county, in Bungoma County.
The woman was identified as Damaris Makuku Okeno, a 98-year-old woman. She was found inside the burnt house with severe burn injuries.
Police officers who rushed to the scene established that the fire had extensively destroyed household items inside one room of a three-bedroom permanent house that had no electricity connection.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the fire may have started from a candle. The candle was allegedly lit by the deceased’s daughter, who had taken food to her mother earlier in the night.
Police said that due to lack of electricity in the house, the daughter reportedly placed a lit candle on a non-functional television set that had been positioned on a wardrobe drawer to provide lighting.
The candle is believed to have fallen onto clothes stored on the wardrobe, igniting a fire that spread rapidly through the room and filled the house with thick smoke.
Neighbours responded after an alarm was raised but were unable to rescue the elderly woman. She had already succumbed to the flames by the time the fire was contained.
The scene was processed and documented by detectives. The photographs were taken before the body was moved to Kocholia Sub-County Hospital mortuary for post-mortem examination.
Police said investigations into the incident are ongoing.
Elsewhere, a woman is recovering in hospital after she was attacked by a bull that escaped while being driven to a slaughterhouse in Machakos County.
The incident occurred on Tuesday night at around 10pm near Tala town in Matungulu Sub-county, according to police.
Police said the bull was being driven from Kwa Matingi area to Tala slaughterhouse when it suddenly became wild as it approached the facility. The animal reportedly broke free and ran towards the direction of Baraka Hotel.
As a result, the bull attacked Regina Kavemba, a resident of Tala Township. She suffered a dislocated left shoulder and soft tissue injuries.
She was rushed to Bahati Hospital where she was admitted in stable condition.
Authorities said the bull disappeared after the incident. Its whereabouts remained unknown by the time of the report. Police and local residents had launched a search for the animal.
Police said efforts to trace the bull are ongoing.
