Nine members of a family were killed Wednesday morning in an arson incident in a village in Ugunja in Siaya County.
Residents of Upanda Village in Sigomre woke up to the devastating news that an entire household, a man, his wife, and their seven children, had been wiped out in a mysterious fire.
Police suspect the incident may have been deliberately set, possibly linked to a long-standing land dispute involving the family.
Four of the victims were burned beyond recognition, while the others were found in the remains of the charred house.
Among the deceased were a high school student preparing for national exams and a six-month-old infant, raising further questions and concern, police said.
The man of the home, aged 45, was involved in a land dispute with another family, police said, adding the matter had been solved in court.
Nothing could be salvaged from the inferno, police said.
Images shared online showed the home destroyed, with personal belongings reduced to ash.
The incident happened past midnight on Tuesday.
The bodies were moved to the Siaya County Referral Hospital mortuary for postmortem examinations as police continue their investigation.
Authorities confirmed that one suspect has been taken into custody in connection with the attack.
The suspect is a woman who was involved in a dispute over the ownership of the piece of land where the deceased lived.
Nyanza regional head of DCI George Mutonya said the suspect will face murder and arson charges as the hunt for more suspects goes on.
“We are looking for more suspects in connection with this murder and arson. We hope to find them soon,” he said.
The suspect was found with a jerrican that had what police believe to be petrol that was used in the attack. Witnesses have told police the arsonists arrived aboard a car and executed the mission before escaping.
They had locked the doors of the affected house from the outside.
A court order had been issued to evict the family from the land.
The eviction was scheduled for Thursday, police said.
In a retaliatory move, enraged residents descended on the suspect’s home, setting both the main house and surrounding farm structures ablaze.
Police said they have heightened security in the area to prevent further violence, as tension remains high.
Cases of arson and murder are on the rise in the region.
Last week, five members of a family were killed in a similar incident in Masimba, Kisii County.
The attackers also burnt six houses in the incident linked to an earlier murder issue reported.
Police say they are pursuing good leads on the identities of those involved in the murder.
