A four-year-old girl is in a silent, desperate battle for her life at AGC Tenwek Hospital, the only survivor of a brutal attack that wiped out three generations of her family. More than three months after a man set her family ablaze in their home in Bomet County, young Tracy Chebet remains in serious condition, a living testament to an act of shocking violence.

The August attack, which authorities have described as premeditated, claimed the lives of Tracy's mother, Sheila Chepkemoi; her aunt, Ivyne Cherono; and her visually impaired grandmother, Anna Chemutai Mosonik. The assailant, Hillary Langat, allegedly poured petrol on the four family members before setting them on fire. The three women succumbed to catastrophic 90 per cent burns days after the assault.

A Community in Shock

The gruesome nature of the crime has left the community and local leaders reeling. Bomet East MP Richard Yegon condemned the incident, highlighting the tragedy of a visually impaired mother being attacked in her own home. "This mind-boggling attack was unwarranted and highlights the urgent need to address mental health issues in society," Yegon stated, calling for a national conversation to prevent similar tragedies.

Family members reported that the suspect, Langat, had a history of violence and had repeatedly battered his wife in the two years prior to the murders. After fleeing the scene, he was attacked by members of the public three days later and succumbed to his injuries, closing one chapter of the tragedy but leaving the quest for justice painfully incomplete for the survivors.

The Long Road Ahead

For young Tracy, the future is uncertain. She remains under specialized care, facing a long and difficult recovery from the severe injuries she sustained. The family, shattered by the loss, held a single funeral for all three women on September 6, their coffins remaining closed due to the severity of their burns.

"The loss has devastated us. It was undeserved in every way," a family member, David Koech, noted during the funeral. "It will take us a long time to overcome it." As Tracy continues her fight, a grieving family and a shocked nation watch on, hoping for her recovery and grappling with the brutal violence that left a child an orphan.