Fire Engulfs Kenya Boarding School Dormitory, Claiming 17 Young Lives – Reuters

NAIROBI (Reuters) – A tragic fire claimed the lives of 17 boys at a boarding school in central Kenya when it engulfed their dormitory during the early hours of Friday, according to police reports.

Local resident Phillip Gathogo recounted the harrowing scene, stating, "We saw several children in there that had been burnt. I was just lucky to save one of them, but I heard that he later died. It was a very troubling and sad tragedy."

The incident occurred at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri, a primary boarding school located approximately 150 km (93 miles) from Nairobi. Government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura confirmed that the deceased boys were in grades 4 to 8, aged between 9 and 13 years, with the dormitory accommodating a total of 156 students.

Police spokesperson Resila Onyango stated, "We have lost 17 pupils in the fire incident while 14 are injured. Our team is at the scene at the moment." Vice President Rigathi Gachagua mentioned that 70 pupils were still unaccounted for, although many may have been taken home by their parents that night.

Reports indicated that the fire had burned the victims beyond recognition. The cause of the fire remains unclear, but Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki noted that many children managed to escape and reach safety, though the exact number is unknown.

"This tremendous loss calls for full accountability for anyone whose actions or negligence contributed to this horrific incident," Kindiki later remarked on social media. He urged local residents who took in survivors to return them to the school for medical assistance and counseling.

President William Ruto has directed authorities to investigate what he described as a "horrific incident" and emphasized that those responsible would be held accountable. The school has been secured by authorities, with crime scene investigators dispatched to the site.

The school has a total enrollment of 824 students, with 422 girls and the remainder boys. Of these, 160 girls are boarders, while the rest are day students, as stated by Belio Kipsang, Principal Secretary of the Education Ministry.

Kenya has experienced several school fires in the past, many attributed to arson. Notably, nine students were killed in a 2017 fire at a school in Nairobi, and in 2001, 58 boys lost their lives in a dormitory blaze at Kyanguli Secondary School near Nairobi. Additionally, eight students died in a 2012 incident at a school in Homa Bay County.