Parents Want Answers for Missing Children After 17 Died at Hillside School Fire » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya Sep 7 – Parents of missing children from the tragic fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy are voicing their frustration over the lack of information regarding their loved ones.
The inferno, which occurred Thursday night while the children were asleep, claimed 17 lives.
Julius Kaburu, a father who has been searching for his son since Friday, expressed his anguish over the uncertainty.
“Since Friday evening, I’ve been here. The school authorities have listed those in the hospital and other locations, but I still have no information about my son. I would rather be told if he is dead, so I know what to do next,” said Kaburu.
Lucy Wangechi and Ndungu Kuria echoed Kaburu’s concerns, urging authorities to provide clearer communication to parents. “I have been searching for my brother, who is in Class Six, even at hospitals, but I haven’t found him. This lack of information is torture,” said Kuria.
Wangechi, who was fortunate to find her son alive, said there should be more transparency. “Even though I found my son, it’s unfair to keep parents in the dark. We deserve to know the truth,” she said. She also mentioned the emotional toll on survivors, noting that many children, including her son, are traumatized.
“My son is experiencing convulsions at night after witnessing the deaths of his classmates. He keeps telling me about their ‘last supper together.’ These children need counseling,” Wangechi added.
As of Friday evening, 70 students were still unaccounted for, heightening fears that some may have fled into the nearby community during the chaos of the fire.
In response, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) set up a temporary trauma center at the school, providing counseling to 59 affected children.
The school grounds have been cordoned off by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), with only authorized personnel allowed on site. Investigations into the cause of the fire and the slow emergency response are underway.
In the aftermath, President William Ruto has declared three days of national mourning starting Monday, with flags flown at half-mast until Wednesday to honor the victims, aged between 5 and 12 years.
“The loss of children at such a young age is an unfathomable tragedy,” President Ruto said in a statement. He extended condolences to the bereaved families and vowed to investigate the incident fully.
“As your President, I promise that the difficult questions—how this tragedy occurred and why the response was delayed—will be answered, and all responsible parties will be held accountable,” Ruto assured the nation.
In 2017, a fire at Moi Girls High School in Nairobi claimed the lives of 10 students, underscoring the need for improved safety measures in educational institutions across the country.
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