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Man burns in house after quarrel with wife


A 52-year-old man was Wednesday morning burned to death inside his house in Kihome, in Nyeri County in what is suspected to be a case of suicide after a fight with his wife.

The father of two identified as Dolph Gichuhi died on his bed when the house caught fire at around 2am.

Efforts by the neighbours to rescue him were futile as the blaze had already engulfed the entire house.

According to neighbours, the deceased was drunk when he arrived home at around 9pm, Tuesday, and had an altercation with his wife.

He is said to have threatened to kill his wife who was forced to flee to her mother’s house.

Ms Lucy Wangui, the widow, alleged that the man had a history of beating her up whenever he got drunk.

“He even tried to burn us alive recently,” she said, amid tears.

The incident becomes the fifth death resulting from domestic quarrels among couples recorded in the county in the last one month alone.

Regional police coordinator, Larry Kieng’ in an interview with the Nation, attributed the upsurge in the cases to alcoholism and lack of cooperation by members of the public.

He said that despite setting up of structures to address domestic violence, locals are not utilizing them.

“These cases are from personal family issues and if the people affected and those around them do not come forward it becomes very difficult for us to control and even prevent it,” said the police boss.