A devastating fire broke out in the dormitory of Hillside Endarasha Academy, a boarding school in central Kenya, during the early hours of Friday, killing at least 18 boys and sending 27 others to the hospital. The fire erupted around midnight in the town of Endarasha, engulfing a dormitory where over 150 children, aged 10 to 14, were sleeping.

Kenya’s Vice President, Rigathi Gachagua, confirmed the death toll at the scene and revealed that 70 more children remain unaccounted for. Some of the missing children may have been taken home by their parents during the night, he added.

Scene of Destruction

According to Nyeri County Commissioner Pius Murugu and the Education Ministry, the dormitory housed more than 150 boys. A national police spokesperson reported that the bodies recovered were burned beyond recognition, and more victims may be found as the scene is fully processed.

Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki noted that some children had sought refuge in neighboring houses, where they remain safe but traumatized. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but Kenya’s National Gender and Equality Commission indicated that the dormitory was “overcrowded, in violation of safety standards,” and called for an immediate inquiry.

Response and Accountability

Kenya’s President, William Ruto, described the incident as “devastating” and vowed that those responsible would be held accountable. Meanwhile, anxious families gathered at the school gates, desperate for information about their children.

Francis Wachira, a parent whose daughter attends the school, expressed frustration at the lack of information, saying, “There has been very little information. They are telling us some children escaped, but we are not being told to where.” Another parent, Timothy Kinuthia, who was searching for his 13-year-old son, said, “We parents are in panic mode. We have been here since 5 a.m., and we have been told nothing.”

History of School Fires in Kenya

Kenya has a troubling history of school fires, many of which have been attributed to arson. In 2017, nine students were killed in a fire at a Nairobi school, and in 2001, a dormitory fire at Kyanguli Secondary School outside Nairobi claimed the lives of 58 boys. A 2022 report by Kenya’s Auditor General highlighted that most public secondary schools are ill-prepared to handle fire disasters.

In response to the tragedy, Vice President Gachagua urged schools to enforce safety measures as outlined by the Education Ministry and other agencies to prevent future fires.