Police have launched investigations after a minor died in a fire at a children’s home in Dagoretti area, Nairobi.
The two-year-old was among two people who were killed in two separate fire incidents in Nairobi and Limuru.
Police said the second victim of fire was a 64-year-old man who was killed in a fire incident in Kamandura village, Limuru, Kiambu county.
They said Joseph Munyaka Kimani was burnt beyond recognition on Sunday and several structures destroyed leaving many homeless.
Police were called to the scene and moved the body to the mortuary.
The cause of the incident is yet to be established.
In the children's home incident, the minor was among 40 children at the private facility. Some 39 others were evacuated.
The fire broke out in one of the dormitories at the home along Ngotho Road that houses 40 children.
Property of unknown value was destroyed, however police said they are yet to establish the cause of the fire.
Detectives visited the scene on Sunday and Monday as part of the probe.
Other experts including those from the children department also visited the facility.
They want to understand what transpired to lead to the tragedy, Nairobi police boss Adamson Bungei said.
This comes as the government plans to abolish all children’s homes and orphanages that are privately owned.
Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore said this last week.
Bore said only government-owned homes, which are under the Child Welfare Society of Kenya will be allowed to operate, adding that private homes have been avenues for child trafficking.
“The reason why we are closing them up is because we have been given directions under the Children’s Act that the private homes should be closed. They have also been routes for child trafficking, so the government wants us to retain the institutions that we have under the Child Welfare Society of Kenya,” the CS said.
She said the government will implement the changes within eight years.
“In the next eight years, those private homes will not exist. We need to prepare in order to absorb those children that will come from private homes,” she said.
The Children’s Act is also aimed at supporting the rights of children to grow up in families and communities.
Data from the Social Protection Department showed that there are 45,000-50,000 children living in about 855 private charitable children’s institutions and others living in government-run institutions as of November 2022.