Kenya School Fire Death Toll Rises To 21, Investigation Underway

A tragic fire at a primary school dormitory in central Kenya has claimed the lives of 21 children, government officials confirmed on Saturday. The fire, which broke out at midnight on Thursday in Nyeri County, engulfed a dormitory where over 150 boys, aged between 9 and 13, were sleeping.

Search for Cause

The cause of the fire is still unknown, but investigators, including forensic experts and homicide detectives, are at the scene. Kenyan prosecutors have instructed police to investigate whether the tragedy was due to negligence or recklessness, with those responsible set to face legal action.

Kenya’s Director of Public Prosecutions, Renson Ingonga, stated that anyone found responsible for the disaster would face criminal charges, promising a thorough inquiry into the incident.

Victims and Survivors

Government spokesman Isaac Mwaura reported that 19 bodies were recovered from the charred dormitory, and two more boys died in the hospital. Of the 156 boys in the dormitory, 139 have been accounted for, either at home or in the hospital.

“The loss of so many young lives is a national tragedy beyond imagination,” Mwaura said, expressing grief over the incident.

The victims were found burned beyond recognition, with the dormitory’s roof completely collapsed. Postmortem examinations are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, led by Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor.

National Grief and Response

The disaster has reignited concerns about school safety standards in Kenya, particularly overcrowded dormitories. Initial reports suggest that the dormitory was overcrowded, violating basic safety guidelines. Kenyan President William Ruto has declared three days of national mourning, calling the incident an “unfathomable tragedy.”

Pope Francis also expressed his sorrow, offering prayers for the victims and their families.

Emotional Aftermath

Families of the children waited anxiously for news, with some expressing their anger and sorrow. One distraught mother said, “We don’t want food donations. We want our children.”

The Kenya Red Cross has set up counseling services for survivors and grieving families, offering psychological support outside the school.

Among the survivors was 12-year-old Stephen Gachingi, whose father, Muchai Kihara, rushed to the scene in the early hours of Friday morning. “I am relieved he is alive, but he has injuries and needs counseling to cope with what he went through,” Kihara said.

Past Tragedies

The incident is the latest in a series of tragic school fires in East Africa. In 2016, nine students died in a school fire in Nairobi’s Kibera slum. In 2001, a fire at a secondary school dormitory in Machakos killed 67 students. Other disasters in Tanzania and Uganda have also raised concerns over school safety in the region.