A tragic incident in Homa Bay County, Kenya, has left a community in shock after a 30-year-old woman allegedly set her house on fire with her children inside before taking her own life, following reports of a domestic dispute over her husband’s intention to marry another wife.
The woman, identified by local authorities and neighbours as Veronica Akoth, is said to have locked her four children inside their home on the morning of May 31, 2026, before igniting the fire.
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Two of the children, a three-year-old girl and a one-year-old boy, died in the blaze. The other two children were rescued and are currently receiving medical care.
Eyewitnesses said the fire started shortly after 9 a.m., when Akoth’s husband and mother-in-law had left for church.
One neighbour who raised the alarm said she initially mistook the smoke for cooking before realizing the situation was serious.
“I was at my door when I saw smoke coming from Veronica’s house. At first, I thought she was cooking, but the smoke kept increasing. I tried calling her, but there was no response,” she said.
She added that when she got closer, she found the situation already out of control. “I rushed there and realized something was wrong. The house was locked, and when we managed to open it, two of the children came out struggling to breathe.”
Neighbours also said they later discovered Akoth’s body within the compound.
According to residents, the family had been experiencing ongoing marital disagreements, reportedly linked to the husband’s intention to take a second wife.
One neighbour said the tension had been building for weeks. “They had been having issues for some time. The disagreement the night before seemed to have escalated things,” the resident said.
Another neighbour added, “She said she was not willing to be in a polygamous marriage, and that is why everything ended the way it did.”
A community member, Javan Owiti, described the incident as devastating and urged couples to seek peaceful ways of resolving conflict.
“Children are very innocent, and it is painful that they suffer because of disputes between parents,” he said.
Authorities are yet to issue a full statement on the incident, while investigations are expected to continue.
