The special committee that was formed to coordinate the management of the Hillside Endarasha Academy tragedy has set September 25 (Wednesday next week) as the burial date for the 21 victims who died in the dormitory fire.
Speaking on Friday evening after meeting with the representatives of the parents of the victims and members of the Hillside Academy Fire Disaster Management Committee, acting Central Region Commissioner, Pius Murugu, said that the burials will take place immediately after the memorial service.
The interdenominational service will be held on Wednesday next week at the Mweiga Stadium. According to Murugu, the service will commence at 8:30 am and is scheduled to end at 11 am to allow the bereaved families to proceed with the burial of their kin.
For families that will not be able to conduct burial on Wednesday due to distance or time constraints, the committee reassured them that the Naro Moru funeral home would continue preserving the remains of their kin.
“We have agreed that the majority of parents will be able to bury the victims on the same day. That is why we have reduced the length of the service. By 11 am we should have finished with the memorial so that we release the bodies to the respective parents and relatives,” said Murugu.
“By Monday we shall be able to know which families will be able to bury their kin on Wednesday. The clergy have reduced time so that the families can reach home in good time to bury the people the same day,” he added.
Earlier at the Naro Moru funeral home, some of the families received the DNA results and got a chance to view the remains of their kin. The exercise started on Thursday after the Chief Government Pathologist, Dr. Johansen Odour, confirmed that the victims had been positively matched to their parents through DNA.
He also said that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, together with the Red Cross, had started handing over results to the bereaved parents.
In his address on Friday, Murugu thanked the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for expediting the DNA process that had previously been estimated to take at least a month. Regarding investigations into the fire, the acting RC said that the DCI were conducting their investigations, which will unearth what transpired on the night of September 5.
“The DCI have completed the process of handing the results to the parents and identifying the victims. At the moment, the victims have been identified by name, and we thank the DCI for expediting the process,” said the acting RC.
One of the representatives of the bereaved parents, Reverend Lincoln Muthigani, thanked the National government and the County government for supporting the parents during the tragedy. He also extended his appreciation to the Kenya Red Cross and other well-wishers who have been supporting them for the last two weeks.
“We thank the National government through the RC and the County government through the governor because they have walked with us. They have supported us throughout this tragedy, and they have also involved us in all the planning processes. We also appreciate all the agencies, the Red Cross, the counsellors, and those well-wishers who supported us in everything,” said Rev. Muthigani.
On his part, Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga, who is also the co-chair of the committee, said that modalities of how the school will be reopened will start immediately after all the 21 victims have been buried. Kahiga said that the committee would also expedite the school’s reopening to give ample time to Grade 6 learners to prepare for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment.
He further reiterated the committee’s promise to bring the school back on its feet.
Kahiga noted that in addition to footing all burial and medical expenses, the government had pledged to facilitate learners whose personal effects and school supplies were destroyed to purchase new ones.
“We have the other phase of about 143 pupils who must be resettled. The school also has to get off the ground. That is going to be the second phase when we finish with this phase so that we are able to take care of the Grade 6 students who are doing the KPSEA so that they don’t get their school life interrupted,” said Kahiga.
By Wangari Mwangi
