Nine victims of Siaya arson tragedy to be laid to rest in mass burial
The victims— a man, his wife, and their seven children—were asleep on the night of April 23 when their home in Sigomere village was torched by unknown assailants.
Nine members of a single family who tragically lost their lives in a suspected arson attack in Ugunja, Siaya County, are set to be buried today (Friday).
The victims— a man, his wife, and their seven children—were asleep on the night of April 23 when their home in Sigomere village was torched by unknown assailants.
Their final rites will take place at their residence in Upanda village, located within the Sigomere sub-location, where they will be laid to rest in a mass grave.
The prime suspect behind a tragic arson attack, Christopher Okello Owino, aged 56, has since been arrested
On April 24, authorities apprehended the suspect in the Kianda area of Kibra, Nairobi.
He had allegedly gone into hiding after getting wind that law enforcement officers were closing in on him.
Investigators say they received a crucial tip-off about Owino’s whereabouts shortly after a devastating fire in Sigomere, which tragically claimed the lives of an entire family.
Locals who knew him grew suspicious when he mentioned having travelled to his rural home on the very night the incident took place.
Owino, identified as the prime suspect, has since been taken back to Ugunja — the scene of the crime — to face further questioning and legal action.
Meanwhile, his wife was taken into custody in Sigomere, Migori County, after police discovered an oil can believed to have been used to ignite the fatal blaze.
Detectives have also seized the suspect’s mobile phones for forensic examination, aiming to uncover potential accomplices involved in the case.
Sources familiar with the investigation allege that Owino enlisted a group of collaborators and journeyed with them to Upanda village in the early hours, where the crime was carried out, before making his way back to Nairobi.