Nyandarua couple and son, 4, die in home fire

The teaching fraternity in Kinangop, Nyandarua county, is in mourning after two colleagues and their son died in a home fire on Sunday evening.

The remains of  42-year-old Peter Thuku, his 38-year-old wife Esther Wangari, and their four-year-old son were found early on Monday morning by residents.

The cause of the fire was not immediately established.

Witness Peter Kuria said the two were teachers in different schools and were living at their rented wooden house near Engineer trading centre.

Kuria said residents were alerted by screams from neighbours but by the time they arrived at the scene, the fire had consumed virtually everything.

“We heard loud screams and on checking, we saw a fire from one of the rooms but it spread so fast that we were not able to save the lives of the three,” he said.

He said the three were last seen at the trading centre after attending church service and they were in high spirits.

“Being teachers in a village explains how they were attached to the community as they were involved in various educational projects. It's sad their lives have been cut short at a very young age,” he said.

Chief Magdalene Kariuki said police transported the remains to Engineer Subcounty Hospital mortuary.

“Police are investigating but now we have no information as to what exactly happened since the all the occupants have died,” she said.

Meanwhile, a security meeting has been called at Magomano Girls High School after students went on a rampage on Sunday night protesting harassment from the principal.

Police had been called in to control more than 500 students who were destroying structures in the rural school.

An insider who did not want to be named told the Star the students were angered by the school's administration for continually harassing them by introducing what they termed ‘stringent rules’.

The chief said police arrived before more destruction could be done.

Edited by R.Wamochie