More than five business people in Kapsokwony town, Bungoma County are counting losses after their business premises were reduced to ashes in a suspected arson attack.
Property of an unknown value was destroyed in the inferno that was allegedly started by a jilted wife who set ablaze her husband’s wholesale shop in a fit of rage.
With the nearest fire brigade engine being in Bungoma and Kitale, other traders and wananchi were forced to watch helplessly as the raging flames spread to the nearby row of shops and kiosks.
Protest
Speaking to the Crazy Monday after recording a statement at Kapsokwony Police station, Titus Osia whose shop was set ablaze, in the incident that happened two weeks ago, said he had domestic problems with his first wife.
He said their relationship was not cordial since he had forced her to stay at his rural home that is about 20 kilometres away from Kapsokwony town against her wishes. Angered, she decided to go to her matrimonial home in protest.
Osia also alleges that his estranged woman, attacked her co-wife prior to the incident causing her bodily harm.
“She ambushed her co-wife as she came out of the bathroom, wrestled her to the ground and hit her on the head with a wooden plank on the head. It’s after the younger woman screamed that I rushed to the back of the shop and found her bleeding from a cut on her face,” he said.
It is when she took her to hospital for a tetanus jab that the suspect sprinkled petrol on the shop and set it on fire, he added.
“Two days ago, stock of Sh800,000 was delivered to my wholesale shop by a creditor. That is all gone now. An investment of more than KSh.1M has now been reduced to ashes because of a problem we could have solved,” said Osia.
Lesson
The woman, neighbours say, had threatened to teach her husband a lesson he would never forget for deciding to send her to the village as he enjoyed the wealth they created with his young wife.
It is said she was spotted at one of the local pubs where she spent the entire day in the company of her friends, who are thought to have misled her to torch the shop.
Mt Elgon OCPD James Kithuka confirmed the incident and said investigations and manhunt for the suspected arsonist have been launched.