A 45-year-old woman and four children died on Tuesday night in a fire incident in Bulapesa area, Isiolo town, in what is believed to be a case of arson linked to a suspected love triangle.
A sixth person, a woman believed to be behind the arson of the five family members was trailed to her house and burnt to death therein.
This is after she had been tortured and killed by a mob.
The midnight blaze, which razed their house to the ground, left no survivors.
Three siblings and their cousin, all aged between seven and 15 years, perished alongside their mother, with property of unknown value being destroyed in the inferno, police said.
Preliminary investigations pointed to the woman suspected of having started the fire in a revenge attack fueled by a love-related conflict.
Tension rose quickly in the area as news of the deaths spread.
Irate residents hunted down the suspected arsonist, lynched her, and burnt her house just a few meters from the scene of the original fire.
At the Bulapesa cemetery, located nearby, grave diggers prepared a single grave for the five victims, who were buried later that afternoon in accordance with Islamic tradition.
Family members and neighbours say they tried to put out the flames but were overwhelmed by the intensity of the fire. No firefighting teams arrived at the scene in time to help.
Police said immediate steps were taken to protect the children of the lynched suspect, who were reportedly in school at the time. Rumours had circulated that some youths were planning to target them in retaliation.
Police called for restraint and urged the public to allow authorities to carry out investigations.
Police have launched a full investigation into the incident as local leaders continue to appeal for calm and peaceful coexistence among residents.
Police have warned against mob lynching and want suspects be surrendered to authorities for prosecution.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
