A 27-year-old pregnant woman suffered burns to 45 per cent of her body after she set herself aflame over her husband’s alleged extra-marital affair.
Cythia Njoki sustained injuries in her hands, abdomen, thighs and face after attempting to commits suicide in her house at Langalanga estate using Kerosene after her husband failed to explain where he spent the Saturday night, August 14.
Ms Njoki said her husband, a mechanic, failed to return home that night and when he came on Sunday evening, he kept on calling a woman she suspected was having an affair with him. In anger, she went into their bedroom, poured kerosene on her body and set herself alight.
“I had an issue with my husband after he failed to report home and on coming, he continued to call a woman he was having a relationship with. I was angry and burnt myself,” said Njoki who was in deep pain at Rift Valley Provincial Hospital.
Nursing officer in charge of the ward, Jenipher Mathenge said the patient was received on Sunday night at around 8pm in a critical condition.
“The patient was received in a very critical condition, with her hands, face, abdomen and thighs burnt. Her fingers are also totally burnt,” Mathenge said.
She said the Ms Njoki, who is six months pregnant also has breathing problems after she inhaled hot air.
They are investigating the status of the unborn baby after they noticed the foetus had irregular heart beat.
“The patient is pregnant and we are conducting further investigations to know the status of the unborn child,” she said.
The patient’s mother Mary Wangui said she rushed to the hospital immediately after she was informed about the incident but could not communicate with Njoki because she had breathing difficulties.
Ms Wangui said prior to the incident, Njoki had shared with her the problems she was going through due to the alleged promiscuity. She asked the husband what happened but he did not give a clear explanation, claiming to have received a phone call from a woman whom Njoki suspected was his lover.
