Electrician dies after touching live wire in Mathare

An electrician working in Mathare Area 4B was electrocuted while repairing a faulty electrical wire on his roof. The incident was reported on Tuesday, October 6, according to police. He was seen on the roof carrying out repairs when he came into contact with a live electrical wire and was electrocuted. The man screamed once before descending the roof and was found unresponsive by a neighbor.

He was taken to SHOFCO Mathare Clinic, but was pronounced dead on arrival. Visible injuries on his abdomen were consistent with electrocution. Police processed the crime scene and the body was moved to the City Mortuary for a postmortem examination.

Separately, a nine-month-old girl died after a fire engulfed her family’s house in a village in Murang’ County. The incident occurred on the same day, October 6, according to police. The fire broke out around 10am while the mother was cooking food for her children. She heard her three-and-a-half-year-old son screaming and went outside to investigate.

She noticed heavy smoke coming from the living room. Despite her attempts to enter the house, the intensity of the fire prevented her from rescuing her infant daughter, Clare Wamaitha. She raised the alarm, prompting members of the public to help extinguish the blaze. After the fire was under control, the body of the infant, who was extensively burnt, was recovered from the debris.

Preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have started from a candle lit by the child’s three-and-a-half-year-old brother inside a bedroom. The candle allegedly ignited a mattress before spreading to other parts of the house. DCI personnel processed the scene and the body was moved to Muriranjas Sub-County Hospital Mortuary for an autopsy.