Kenya In Mourning After 17 Children Killed In Dormitory Fire » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya Sep 6 – President William Ruto has declared three days of national mourning beginning Monday following the tragic fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri, where 17 children perished in a dormitory blaze.
Flags will be flown at half-mast until Wednesday in honour of the victims, aged between 5 and 12 years.
“The loss of children of such tender years in this manner is an unfathomable tragedy,” President Ruto said in a statement, offering the nation’s condolences to the bereaved families. While on an official trip to China, Ruto ordered an immediate investigation into the fire and the reportedly slow response that followed.
“As your President, I pledge that the difficult questions—how this tragedy occurred and why the response was not timely—will be answered, fully and frankly. All relevant persons and bodies will be held to account,” he assured the nation.
According to initial reports, the fire broke out at midnight while the pupils were asleep. Sixteen children died at the scene, burnt beyond recognition, while one passed away en route to the hospital.
National Police Service Spokesperson Resila Onyango confirmed that 14 other pupils sustained serious injuries, while the search for possible additional victims continued.
Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang revealed that the school hosts 824 students, of whom 156 boys and 160 girls are boarders. The ill-fated dormitory housed all 156 boy boarders. Kipsang said the Ministry of Education, along with the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Health, is working to manage the aftermath and ensure survivors receive the necessary medical care.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has established a temporary trauma center at the school, providing counseling services to 59 children affected by the tragedy. By Friday evening, worried parents had camped at the school, anxious for news of their children. The school reported that 70 pupils remained unaccounted for, raising fears that some may have fled into the local community during the fire and were still missing.
Hillside Endarasha Academy, a private primary school located near Nyeri town, has been the scene of Kenya’s latest school fire tragedy. Dormitory fires have plagued Kenya in recent years, with a deadly blaze at Moi Girls High School in Nairobi in 2017 claiming 10 lives.
Other incidents, such as a 2022 dormitory fire in western Kenya and an arson attack in Machakos County two decades ago, highlight the recurring safety challenges in the country’s boarding schools.
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