Five killed after man sets his family on fire

A casual worker on Sunday set his house ablaze, killing himself, his wife and three children in a morning tragedy that left a village in Vihiga County in shock.

Neighbours said the man, identified as Gerishom Aluda, had arrived home at Vindizi village on Saturday night from Kakamega town when he started quarrelling with his wife.

According to Mr Wellington Muguya, the man’s brother, Mr Aluda had earlier asked for two jerrycans which he used to buy petrol from a nearby fuel station.

But after the family had what turned out to be their last meal together, the 35-year-old man is said to have forced his wife and three children — Brighton Muchidi, six, Slavia Alivisa, eight, and Ashline Midevo, one — into the bedroom before setting the house on fire.

He doused the house in petrol before setting it on fire at around 4am.

The man’s 10-year-old daughter, however, managed to sneak out of the house.

“I was sleeping with my three younger siblings in the living room when my father started taking each of them to the bedroom,” said the girl.

SENSED DANGER

She said it was after her father carried all the three children to the bedroom that she sensed danger and escaped to her uncle’s house.

Neighbours, who went to put out the fire, said they were unable to save the five. Nothing was salvaged from the house.

“We could not immediately ascertain what transpired between the couple,” said Mr Muguya.

The villagers, however, suspect Mr Aluda might have strangled his wife, Ebby Minyosi, before setting the house on fire.

Shocked villagers, who thronged the homestead yesterday, said the man did not look stressed or unhappy when he returned home from Kakamega.

Neighbours said he had chatted with friends and family members as he walked from the bus stop to his home.

Mr Muguya described his elder brother as a man who  often kept to himself.

“My brother is someone who kept to himself. Whenever he came to the village from Kakamega town where he worked as a casual labourer, he headed to his house without greeting anyone,” he said.

He added that he rarely interacted with other family members as  he would only be seen  in the morning and late in the evening .

Mr Aluda’s father, Christopher Mutibo, said he was not aware of the nature of job his son was doing but he was able to “feed his children and pay their school fees”.

“He never told me who he was working for. All I know is that he was a casual labourer in Lurambi where he had worked for  about four years,” said Mr Mutibo.

Mr Hezekiel Midicha, who went to school with Mr Aluda, told Nation the man was not an outgoing person although they were best friends.

“We went to Vindisa Primary and Secondary School together up to Form Two  but he did not finish Form Four due to lack of school fees. This was way back in 1999,” said Mr Midicha.

Area police boss Alfred Angego said on Sunday they were investigating the incident.

“We don’t want to speculate. However, we suspect the man killed his wife before setting the house on fire making it difficult to rescue her and the children,” said the police boss.

The bodies were taken to Mbale District Hospital mortuary.

Reported by Everline Okewo, Derick Luvega and Benson Amadala