Rangwe Member of Parliament Lilian Gogo has called on police to conduct a thorough investigation and arrest those responsible after her house in East Gem Ward was torched by unknown individuals on Friday night.
The incident occurred while the legislator was in Nairobi, attending the funeral programme of the late ODM leader and former Prime Minister Raila Amollo Odinga. Family members reported that the inferno destroyed household items and personal belongings of unknown value.
Confirming the incident, Rangwe Sub-County Police Commander Magdaline Chebet said preliminary investigations had ruled out an electrical fault as the possible cause of the fire.
“There was a blackout around the village at the time the fire broke out. We have, however, started investigations to determine what caused the incident,” said Chebet.
She added that no one was at home when the fire began and that the main gate to the compound was locked when police arrived. Officers responding to the distress call had to break through the gate and used water from a nearby borehole to fight the flames.
“The officers managed to save a few items from the kitchen, but most of the property had already been destroyed,” Chebet noted.
MP Gogo said she received news of the fire while attending the funeral event in Nairobi.
“I am still in shock and confused about what happened. I urge the police to bring to justice those behind this deliberate act,” she said.
Police sources revealed that the MP had recently requested additional security, including a female officer to complement her current male bodyguard.
Authorities have since secured the property as investigations continue to determine whether the incident was accidental or a deliberate act of arson.
