Africa (Commonwealth Union) _ A devastating fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy, a private boarding school in Nyeri County, Kenya, has claimed the lives of 17 pupils, leaving many more missing. Parents and relatives have been anxiously waiting for news about their children, with Kenya’s Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua confirming that 70 children remain unaccounted for. This tragedy has reignited concerns over safety standards in Kenyan boarding schools.
The fire broke out in a dormitory at Hillside Endarasha Academy around midnight local time. Over 150 pupils were in the dormitory when the blaze erupted, and many were trapped inside. The cause of the fire is still unknown, and the Kenyan Ministry of Education confirmed the death toll at 17 on Friday morning. The average age of the victims is around nine years old.
The boarding school is located in a remote area, which delayed firefighters due to poor road conditions. Despite these delays, local residents rushed to the scene and attempted to rescue the children. Some children went missing in the ensuing chaos, and there are reports that some may have run into nearby communities to escape the fire or were picked up by their parents without the school being aware.
The fire has left parents in deep distress as they struggle to find out if their children are safe. Many of the bodies recovered were burned beyond recognition, compounding the horror and grief felt by the families. A temporary trauma center has been set up at the school by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to provide counselling to survivors and their families.
Angela Kimani, whose 11-year-old nephew is missing, described the anguish of searching for him among the injured and deceased. “We haven’t found him in hospitals; we are wondering if he could be among those who have been burned beyond recognition. It’s such heavy grief for our family,” she said.
John Githogo, an uncle of another missing boy, expressed the emotional toll of the uncertainty, saying, “We are being told some are dead, some ran away, some were picked up by their parents. But we didn’t pick our boy. We don’t know if he’s among the dead or the people who ran away.”
President William Ruto has called the fire “horrific” and “devastating,” ordering a thorough investigation into the incident. “Those responsible will be held to account,” he stated on social media. A team of investigators, including forensic experts, has been deployed to the school to determine the cause of the fire and assess the damage.
Kenya’s Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has urged parents who took their children home to report to the authorities to help account for the missing students. He also stated that the government would assist families with burials and hospital bills.
School fires are unfortunately not uncommon in Kenya, particularly in boarding schools, where safety standards have frequently been called into question. In recent years, several incidents have occurred, raising concerns over the safety of students in these institutions. In 2022, a dormitory fire in western Kenya led to several student arrests on suspicion of arson. In 2017, 10 students died in an arson attack at Moi Girls High School in Nairobi. The deadliest incident occurred over two decades ago in Machakos County, southeast of Nairobi, where 67 students died.
The blaze at Hillside Endarasha Academy is the latest in a series of tragic incidents that highlight the urgent need for improved safety measures in Kenyan schools.
As families mourn the loss of their children and continue to search for those missing, the Kenyan government faces pressure to not only find the cause of the Hillside Endarasha Academy fire but also to implement stricter safety regulations to prevent such tragedies in the future. The tragedy has deeply impacted the local community and the nation, underscoring the vulnerabilities in school safety and the dire need for reforms.
