A mother is enduring unimaginable sorrow after losing her last and only surviving child, a daughter, in a tragic fire accident while on vacation in Mombasa.
This devastating loss comes just years after her husband and two sons perished in a rare flash flood, leaving her as the sole survivor of her family.
The fire accident occurred when a malfunctioning water heater sprayed scalding water on the mother and her 16-year-old daughter, a student at Alliance Girls High School.
The incident occured while the two were on vacation in Mombasa for the 2024 festivities.
Both sustained severe burns and were immediately rushed to the hospital.
Tragically, the daughter succumbed to her injuries after suffering burns to 60% of her body, while the mother, with burns covering 40% of her body, remains hospitalized at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).
Loss of husband and sons
This latest tragedy adds to the heartache of losing her husband and sons in a freak accident a few years ago.
The family was traveling from Narok to Nairobi when their car was swept away by flash floods near Suswa.
The mother and her daughter had stayed behind in the village, a decision that spared them at the time but left them as the only survivors.
“Sadly, when they reached Narok, just before Suswa, they were swept away by the notorious Narok flash floods. Flash floods occur when the rains are overwhelming. As the water goes downhill, it gains momentum, carrying along with it massive debris, including huge boulders, trees, etc,” a family friend described the earlier loss.
He continued, “The only surviving members of her family were her and her daughter. Now she is left alone. Distraught, traumatized, and terrified.”
Now confined to a hospital bed and facing mounting medical bills, the grieving mother is seeking help from Kenyans for both prayers and financial support.
Donations will also assist in providing her daughter with a dignified burial.
Contributions can be made via M-Pesa Paybill number 5480284, with the donor’s name as the account reference.

As of 13th January 2025, contributions had amounted to Ksh 1.5 million.
The loss has sent shockwaves through the community, including former students of the mother’s late husband, a former teacher at Alliance Girls High School.
“The man was our Business Education teacher back in Bush Gee (Alliance Girls High School). Mr Ooko. He was such a lovely guy. Whatever has happened in that family is inexplicable in human ways,” one student remembered him fondly.