A middle-aged woman from Maragua Ridge in Murang’a is admitted to the hospital with serious burns after her boyfriend doused her with kerosene and set her on fire on Wednesday morning.
Grace Wanja, aged 47 years, sustained severe burns during the early morning fight with her boyfriend, who was demanding food at an odd hour.
According to Mary Wangari, who is Wanja’s sister, her boyfriend woke up and started demanding food at around five o’clock in the morning.
“When Wanja said there was no food, he went into the bedroom and picked up the kerosene container, which he splashed on her, and lit a match that he threw towards her as she tried to run for safety,” Wangari added.
Wangari tearfully narrated how she helped her sister get out of the house through a window as she screamed and called the neighbours for help.
Wanja was first rushed to a healthcare facility at Maragua Ridge, where first aid was administered before she was taken to Murang’a Level Five hospital, from where she was referred to Kenyatta National Hospital.
Wangari stated that this was not the first time that Wanja, who is a mother of four, and her boyfriend, Irungu Muturi, had been involved in a domestic feud.
“There have been several instances where my sister had been threatened by her boyfriend, and she even reported him to the local chief,” she said.
Wangari called upon the police to promptly arrest the suspect and ensure he is brought to justice.
Lucy Ngahu, their elder sister, called upon well-wishers to help them seek treatment, saying they do not have the financial ability to pay for Wanja’s treatment.
She also called upon law enforcement officials to apprehend the suspect and conduct investigations so as to ensure justice is served.
Rebeccah Kang’ethe, a social worker from Maragua who had accompanied the family, strongly condemned the act and called upon all people to have respect for human life.
“As a society, we need to work together with administrators and law enforcement to curb the rise in cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV),” she said.
By Purity Mugo
