Mwingi family demands justice after home raided, torched

Police in Mwingi Central, Kitui, are still investigating a case in which  a family at Ikuusya village in Waita ward escaped death by a whisker.

A gang raided their home, robbed them and torched their house.

Tabitha Mwinzi, the wife of renowned Mwingi businessman Mwinzi Kitheka whose house was torched, said she was asleep at around 1am on Thursday when she heard a noise in her compound.

Immediately after, she was ordered to open the door failure to which she would be killed.

After hesitating, the thugs threw a can of petrol inside her house and set her house on fire.

"I was forced to open the door due to the smoke and huge flames of fire which almost burned me and my grandchild," Tabitha said.

It was after opening the door that the thugs took her grandchild and started beating her forcing Tabitha to hand over her phone and give them the M-Pesa pin. They withdrew Sh50,000. 

After the thugs fled, Tabitha called for help from neighbours who tried to put out the fire but nothing much could be salvaged since the fire had already razed down all valuables in the house.

"We didn't salvage anything since the fire was so huge, all the IDs, birth certificates and even title deeds were destroyed," she added. 

John Mwinzi, the eldest son, said the police are yet to make any arrests despite having been alerted immediately. 

John added that property worth more than Sh6 million was destroyed and the family was currently facing many challenges. 

"We are depending on our neighbours for food, clothes and all basic needs," he said

He has pleaded with the police to beef up security and hasten the investigations to bring those behind the robbery to book.

Mwingi central subcounty police commander Peter Mutuma said several suspects have been arrested and investigation is still ongoing.

 

 

 

-Edited by SKanyara

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