Following up on our earlier report on the Kibera Pride Children’s Home fire, we regret to inform you that a third devastating fire occurred on Friday, September 20th, at 7:30 pm.
The children had experienced a brief sense of peace on Wednesday and Thursday. After spending three nights at the CFK Center, they returned to the home on Thursday. With limited space available, they squeezed into the sitting area of the first block, with some girls even sleeping in the boys’ room. Those whose uniforms were spared by the previous fires managed to attend school on Thursday and Friday, offering a glimpse of normalcy.
By Friday, life seemed to be slowly returning to normal. That same day, a charitable organization donated crocs for the children, bringing smiles and lifting their spirits. Well-wishers also provided a few new blankets. During supper that evening, the sitting area was not only brighter due to the repaired electrical wiring but also from the beaming smiles of the children. The simple meal of salted rice and cabbage turned into a moment of hope and recovery—until a panicked shout of “moto tena” (fire again) rang out.
A girl feeding one of the babies in the boys’ room suddenly felt liquid pouring on her from the window. Startled, she jumped up, assuming it was water, but as she picked up the baby and smelled her jumper, she realized the liquid was petrol. In less than a minute, flames engulfed the room. The girl’s quick reaction allowed her to flee with the baby, and her shout alerted the other children, who swiftly moved to safety.
As the children ran from the building, a man wearing a white T-shirt was seen fleeing the scene. This disturbing sight confirmed suspicions of arson, finally solving the mystery of what had caused the previous two fires.
The children, already traumatized by earlier incidents, now face the harsh reality that these fires were deliberately set. The home remains in dire need of support to protect the children and help them rise from this relentless series of tragedies.
The home remains uninhabitable, and since Friday evening, the children, and their caregivers have been spending the night at Karama Academy, a school just a stone’s throw from the home. Plans are underway to temporarily relocate the children to a new residence while investigations into the fires are being conducted by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
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