Kenyan Woman Arraigned For Allegedly Setting Her Nigerian Boyfriend’s House On Fire

A 25-year-old Kenyan woman, Patience Cherotich has been arraigned on charges of arson for allegedly setting fire to a house belonging to her Nigerian ex-boyfriend, Benjamin Obeten.

It was gathered that Patience Cherotich set fire to the house located at TRM Drive in Kasarani, Nairobi on August 10, resulting in property damage estimated at Sh120,000.

The charge sheet states, “On the 10th day of August, 2023, at Veeland Apartments, you did willfully and unlawfully set fire to a structure used as a bedroom, valued at Sh120,000, belonging to Benjamin Obeten.”

Cherotich and the complainant, Benjamin Obeten, had previously been in a romantic relationship that ended for undisclosed reasons.

She was said to have requested permission to visit Obeten at his residence, and he agreed.

However, upon her arrival, she allegedly caused a disturbance in the house, making threats against Obeten’s life.

This prompted him to seek assistance from the apartment’s security guards, resulting in Cherotich being removed from the premises.

But after spending hours in the cold, Obeten took pity on her and allowed her back into the house where she spent the night on a couch in the living room.

Around 5 a.m, she reportedly began banging on Obeten’s bedroom door, demanding entry. Obeten opened the door but left her in the room after asking her to stop the disturbance.

Shortly after, Cherotich asked for taxi fare, and Obeten provided her with Sh1,200 before she left left his house in the morning.

Moments later, Obeten discovered that a fire had broken out in the house, consuming bedding and various items. He managed to extinguish the flames with the assistance of neighbors.

Obeten also reported the incident to Kasarani Police Station, leading to Cherotich’s arrest following an investigation.

She pleaded not guilty to the charges in front of Senior Principal Magistrate Agnes Mwangi of Makadara Law Courts on September 13.

Through her lawyer, she requested lenient bail conditions, citing her status as a single mother with a seven-year-old child in need of care.

Cherotich was granted bail set at Sh200,000 with a surety. The case is scheduled for mention on November 14, 2023, with the trial set to begin on April 12 the following year.