Two young siblings have died in a devastating apartment fire in Gachie, Kiambu County, as their three-year-old sister survived a daring rescue and their grieving father, Kennedy Njau, demands answers over the tragedy.
The children, identified as Tehilla Wambui and Angela Njeri, died after a fire engulfed their apartment on Saturday, October 17, 2026.
Police are investigating reports that the children had been locked inside the house while their mother was away, although the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
Three Men Risk Lives to Rescue Girl
The tragedy unfolded at around 5pm after children playing nearby noticed smoke billowing from the apartment where the three siblings were reportedly trapped.
According to Citizen Digital, three men, including Joash Ondieki and Kevin Bahati, rushed to the building, forced open the gate and went upstairs to rescue the children.
They found the three-year-old girl stranded on a balcony as flames and thick smoke engulfed the apartment.
Ondieki said he was determined to save the child after hearing her plead for help.
The rescuers coordinated their efforts to lower her to the floor below, where she was received and rushed to hospital for first aid.
However, they were unable to reach her two siblings before the fire engulfed the house.
A postmortem examination established carbon monoxide poisoning as the cause of death of the two children, according to the report.
Father Demands Justice
Njau, who shared parenting responsibilities with the children’s mother, said the children had been in her care over the weekend.
He told Citizen Digital that the mother had reportedly acknowledged locking the children inside the house before leaving, expecting a domestic worker to arrive later.
The allegation has not been independently established, and police investigations are expected to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Njau is demanding a thorough investigation by detectives at Kihara Police Station in Kiambaa to establish how the fire started and whether the tragedy could have been prevented.
“Anyone mwenye anaweza anisaidie to get to know the cause of the fire… na hii story isiende like any other story,” he said, appealing for help in finding answers.
The grieving father described the loss as particularly painful given the young age of the children.
The incident has raised serious concerns about child supervision and safety in residential buildings, where fires can quickly block escape routes and leave young children unable to reach safety.
As investigations continue, the family is preparing to bury Tehilla and Angela, while their father waits for answers over the circumstances that claimed their lives.
The surviving three-year-old girl was rescued thanks to the bravery of the men who risked their lives to reach her.
