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Nakuru mother and child burnt to death in mystery house fire
Police officers and Red Cross staff carry the remains of a mother and her child were burnt beyond recognition inside their house in Kwa Kihika in Bahati, Nakuru County on January 17, 2026.
What you need to know:
- Residents said they were attracted by screams and thick smoke billowing from the rental house.
- However, the intensity of the fire made it impossible for the neighbours to access the house.
Police in Bahati Nakuru County have launched investigations into a tragic incident in which a mother and her young child were burnt beyond recognition after a fire engulfed their house on Saturday.
The incident occurred within Kwa Kihika estate, with residents saying they were attracted by screams and thick smoke billowing from the family’s rental house. However, by the time neighbours rushed to the scene and attempted to put out the flames, the house had already been consumed by fire.
Nakuru North Police Commander Lilies Wachira confirmed the incident, saying officers from Bahati Police Station visited the scene, with preliminary investigations establishing that the 21-year-old woman and her two-year-old child were in the house when the incident occurred.
The bodies, which were burnt beyond recognition, were moved to Nakuru City mortuary for preservation as police commenced investigations to establish the cause of the fire.
“We received a report of a fire incident in which a woman and her child lost their lives. Their bodies were burnt beyond recognition. We have launched investigations to determine what caused the fire,” Ms Wachira said.
A neighbour who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed that the woman, identified as Dorcas Wairimu, and her daughter, Loveline Muthoni, were initially in the house with two other children, whom she later sent away.
Red Cross staff and residents of Kwa Kihika in Bahati in, Nakuru County at a scene where a mother and her child were burnt beyond recognition inside their house on January 17, 2026.
The neighbours said that the woman had quarrelled with her mother on Friday after she came home late. Her mother left for work on Saturday morning, only to be informed of the incident hours later.
"We do not know what transpired before she sent away her younger siblings and remained inside the house with her child. We suspect it might have been a case of suicide. Police should conduct investigations. They were not on talking terms with her mother," said the neighbour.
According to residents, the fire spread rapidly, leaving little time for rescue as the intensity of the blaze made it impossible for neighbours to access the house despite their desperate attempts to help.
“It all happened so fast. This is something we have never witnessed here. It is so unfortunate that we lost a mother and her child in such a painful way. It is heart-breaking,” said another neighbour.
A police officer privy to the investigations said preliminary assessments indicate the house was completely destroyed, complicating efforts to immediately establish the origin of the fire, noting that investigators are considering several possibilities, including suicide.
“The investigations will involve scene reconstruction and interviews with neighbours and relatives to help us understand what may have led to the fire. A postmortem will be conducted to aid the inquiry," said the officer.
