A 55-year-old mother of six Beatrice Atieno whose daughter was killed in a suspected arson attack in Kisumu has appealed for support to bury her daughter.
Atieno, who hails from Ragen AIC area in Nyakach subcounty, is required to clear the mortuary bills and cater for burial expenses for her daughter Christine Auma, 27.
The body is at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOORTH) mortuary in Kisumu.
Auma has appealed to Kisumu Deputy Governor Mathews Owili, Nyakach MP Aduma Owuor Central Nyakach MCA Vincent Obuya and other well-wishers to help her clear the hospital bills and funeral expenses.
“I'm stranded and I have no money to pay the bills and even bury my daughter. I am humbly requesting well-wishers to help us,” Atieno said.
Auma sustained severe burns on her body following the suspected arson attack on Wednesday at about 3 am while asleep in their iron sheet house in Capital area in Nyalenda slums.
She was rushed to Kisumu County Referral Hospital before being transferred to JOOTRH where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
According to her mother, the fire was so intense that they could not rescue Auma on time.
“We suspect those behind the killings used petrol to set the house ablaze,” she said.
Before the attack on that fateful night, Atieno and her son heard a scary movement of people they suspected set the house on fire.
“We heard some people moving around the house both at the back and front shortly before a scream from the house where Auma was sleeping,” she said.
When they responded, the fire was extensive and only managed to rescue her after sustaining severe injuries on her face, upper and lower abdomen and back.
The mother who responded to the scene also sustained burns on her face and hand while trying to rescue her daughter.
Before her death, Auma told her mother that she died on her behalf following the numerous attacks the mother had faced in the past.
"In her own words, ‘mama an a thoo e gopi inie ema jogo dwaro negi” loosely translated, "I have paid your price, it is you the killers are after,” Auma said her daughter told her before she succumbed.
The matter was reported at Kasagam Police Station via OB number 13/12/24 0930hrs.
In May, Atieno narrated that her daughter narrowly escaped unhurt following a night attack by an unknown number of people.
She was in the house with her child and another.
“The attackers who had dug the wall of the house fled when Auma raised the alarm,” the mother said.
Following the scary incident, the children were afraid to sleep in the same house and opted to sleep with their grandmother in the next house.
"We could have been talking of three deaths," the mother said.
Auma said she suspects the attackers have been after her life, not her daughter, going by the attacks she has experienced.
In June, Auma also survived an attack on her way home from the nearby market where she sells omena (Lake Victoria sardine).
“While walking home I realised someone was following me and immediately I turned to look at him. He poured a liquid on my face which affected my eyes,” she said.
She was lucky to regain her sight after successful treatment. The attacker robbed her money for that day’s sales.