Police have arrested a key suspect in the tragic arson attack in which nine family members were killed in Siaya on Tuesday.
The 56-year-old man was arrested in Kibra, Nairobi, while having supper with his children.
He had reportedly gone into hiding after learning detectives were pursuing him.
Police said they received a tip-off about the suspect’s presence in the area just a day after the horrific incident in Upanda village of Sigomere in Ugunja subcounty.
A whole family of nine; father, mother and their seven children, were burnt to death.
Police said neighbours in Kibera raised suspicions after Owino informed them he had travelled to his rural home on the night of the incident.
Police, supported by local leaders in Kibra’s Kianda area, arrested him. He was due to be sent to Siaya for further interrogation.
Kilimani subcounty police commander Patricia Yegon confirmed the arrest, adding that coordination with Ugunja police was underway to reconcile details before taking further action.
The man's wife was arrested on Wednesday in Sigomere after police recovered a fuel can believed to have been used to set the house ablaze.
The man told police he was aware of his wife’s arrest and detention at Ugunja police station.
Detectives confiscated the suspect’s mobile phones for forensic analysis as part of efforts to identify and arrest possible accomplices.
Sources close to the investigation revealed the suspect allegedly hired a group of associates and travelled with them to Upanda village in the early morning hours to commit the crime before returning to Nairobi.
The suspect is said to have hosted church members at his Kibra house on Wednesday evening for prayers after his rural house was torched by irate villagers in an apparent retaliation attack, police said.
Upanda villagers woke up to the devastating news that a mysterious fire had wiped out an entire household. Police said the incident may have been deliberately set, possibly linked to a long-standing land dispute involving the family.
Four of the victims were burnt beyond recognition, while the others were found lifeless 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.
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.
The bodies were taken to Siaya County Referral Hospital mortuary for postmortem examinations as investigations continue. Nyanza regional head of DCI George Mutonya said they are looking for more suspects.
“We are looking for more suspects in connection with this murder and arson. We hope to find them soon,” he said.
