A 31-year-old mother of two, who recently set her husband on fire, killing him, has died.

Ms Mary Kabura died on Tuesday at the Murang’a District Hospital. She had taken poison after setting her husband ablaze.

County Director of Health Winfred Kanyi said the woman had been taken to the hospital while unconscious.

Dr Kanyi said she had symptoms of poisoning.

“Her condition continued to deteriorate and she was put on resuscitation at around 11am, but she died an hour later,” she added.

Ms Kabura is said to have splashed kerosene onto her husband, Mr Samuel Kimani, who was sleeping in their bedroom, before setting him on fire at Mumbi Estate, near Murang’a Town, on Sunday.

Neighbours said she locked the bedroom door and ran away. The couple’s two children, a nine-year-old girl and a boy aged two, were also inside the house.

The two screamed, drawing the attention of neighbours, who broke down a door to gain entry. The children were found in the sitting room unharmed.

According to the neighbours, the couple quarrelled frequently.

They couple were said to have engaged in a serious argument early in the morning on Sunday, before the woman started the fire.

Neighbours said they heard the couple quarrelling, and at around 3am, the children screamed for help, saying their father was on fire.

They found the man dead and the woman missing.

The two children were rescued and taken away.