A 76-year-old man in Kwania District has died after setting himself ablaze
A 76-year-old man in Kwania District has died after setting himself ablaze over a land dispute.
William Ongeng had stealthily sold a piece of customary land for Shs1.8 million to pay a debt, but his family members blocked the buyer from accessing the land, leading to his arrest and detention.
According to residents, Ongeng was released from police custody on Monday, February 23, 2026, after promising to return and pay the money.
However, he was unable to fulfill this promise, and in a tragic turn of events, he set himself on fire on Wednesday.
In a letter left behind, Ongeng accused his daughter and grandson of not allowing him to sell the land to raise money for the debt.
“He tried to sell the land, but his daughter didn’t allow him. Then he again asked them to allow him mortgage a house at Shs2 million, but this was again blocked. This angered him to the point of ending his life,” said James Adoko, a resident who witnessed the scene.
The deceased’s family members had reportedly been at odds with him over his decision to sell the land, with his daughter stating that he should be arrested and imprisoned instead of selling family property to pay a debt he incurred alone.
“He was afraid that he was going to be arrested again for failure to pay this debt,” Adoko added.
Mr Tom Odyambo, an LC1 committee member, said Ongeng had a history of selling land to drink alcohol, which had angered his family members.
“This mzee (old man) is known for selling land for drinking alcohol; his children are not happy with him, so they were against his idea of selling land just to pay a debt,” he said.
Kwania District Police Commander Allison Arinda confirmed that investigations into the matter have commenced.
