Murang'a woman fights for her life after being doused with kerosene

Murang'a Level Five Hospital in Murang'a town/ALICE WAITHERA

A 47 years old woman is nursing serious injuries after she was doused with kerosene and set on fire. The mother of four allegedly suffered the violence at the hands of her lover on Wednesday morning.

Her sister said the two had a disagreement after the man demanded food at dawn.

The victim was hosting her lover in a two-roomed rental house in Mung’etho, Murang’a County, that she also shared with her sister.

“The man had just gotten into the house at 5 am and demanded for food but my sister told him she had not prepared anything last night,” the victim's sister said.

Her injured sister, she explained, was involved in an on-and-off relationship with the man said to hail from Gaturi ward and who did not have a means of livelihood.

When the disagreement escalated, the injured woman left her bedroom and walked to her sister’s bedroom, where the man followed her with a tin that he then opened and poured the content on her.

“When she felt something cold trickling down her body, she immediately sensed danger and started running away from the bedroom, but he lit a match and threw it on her.”

The woman, who is fighting for her life after being doused with kerosene/ALICE WAITHERA

In tears, the sister narrated how they first rushed her to a local health centre where she received first aid before they were referred to Murang’a Level 4 hospital and eventually to Kenyatta National Hospital.

“This is not the first time that my sister has been embroiled in domestic disputes with the man. My appeal is to the police to ensure the person behind this violence is arrested and punished,” she said, explaining that the violent nature of the suspect prompted Wanja to relocate her children.

The victim's elder sister called for help from well-wishers, saying their family is financially constrained and may not be able to pay her medical bills.

Rebeccah Kang’ethe, a social worker from Maragua who had accompanied the family, strongly condemned the act and called upon people to amicably resolve domestic wrangles.

Medics who sought anonymity indicated that the victim suffered about 65 per cent burns and that her burns needed more specialised care.