Three children died today morning in a deadly inferno at Nairobi’s Mukuru-Kwa Njenga slum in Embakasi West.
The deceased identified as Clinton Hamisi three-and-half-year-old, Daniel Sikanda one-year-and-seven-month old and six-week-old Blessing Khaesta were left alone in the house sleeping.
According to the area security chairman Dominic Njuguna, the incident took place at around 7.30am as their mother had gone to buy mandazi.
Mr Njuguna said 18-year-old Celestine Machaga went for the short errand, leaving her children in the house alone with a stove on, which was cooking tea.
Her husband Geoffrey Machaga, a casual labourer had left to work before the incident happened.
“She had gone to buy mandazi for the children. A stove was boiling tea while the door had been locked from outside. She had not even bought the commodities before she heard screams and after turning back, she saw her house engulfed in flames. Those who responded first could not access the house due to the raging flames as the fire spread fast to other houses,” Mr Njuguna remarked.
He added that beddings, clothes, electronics and furniture were reduced to ashes in 20 houses.
Their bodies were taken to the City Mortuary.
Are the parents too busy to take care of their children?
Last month another children died after a fire gutted their house at Tayari village in Molo.
According to residents, the fire, whose cause has yet to be established, started a few minutes past midnight.
The three children, aged between two and five years, had been locked in the house.