Kenya’s boarding schools have a long and tragic history of deadly fires, and the recent incident at Hillside Endarasha in Nyeri County, where 21 learners lost their lives, is sadly not an isolated event.
While the country continues to mourn, three other schools have subsequently reported similar fire outbreaks, among them Isiolo Girls, where three students suffered minor injuries; Njia High in Meru; Bukhalarire Secondary in Busia; and Isiolo Boys, which reported zero injuries and fatalities.
The Endarasha incident evokes painful memories of previous school fires that have repeatedly underscored the country’s failure to enforce safety standards in educational institutions.
One of the deadliest school fires occurred in 2001 at Kyanguli Secondary School in Machakos County, where 67 students perished after a fire was deliberately set by students on a dormitory housing their schoolmates. This incident remains the deadliest school arson in Kenya’s history, with similar horrors have also unfolded in other schools.
In 1988, Bombolulu Girls Secondary School reported a fire incident that resulted in multiple casualties. Three years later, a deadly and horrific incident occurred at St. Kizito Secondary School (1991) in Meru, where 19 girls died, and several were raped during a horrific fire incident that shook the nation.
In 1999, four school prefects were tragically set on fire at Nyeri High, with another arson attack at Moi Girls High School (2017) which claimed the lives of 10 students, shaking the capital, Nairobi.
Despite these tragedies, the pattern of preventable fires continues to plague Kenyan schools, with incidents often occurring at night when students are most vulnerable in their dormitories.
Investigations following school fires have often pointed to a failure to adhere to safety protocols.
“It is very important that we take actions by moving away from policies and regulations to law so that offences are well defined in law,” said Government Spokesperson, Dr Isaac Mwaura during a Press briefing on September 13,2024.
“The Ministry of Education has established laws and regulations that govern safety standards in schools, including installation of fire extinguishers, number of students sleeping in a dormitory, stationing of housekeeper or adults in each dormitory among others.”
These stipulations, he noted, must be followed to the letter to assure every one of the safety of learners.
A 2020 audit revealed that many schools were ill-prepared for fire emergencies, lacking essential equipment such as functioning extinguishers and alarms.
This report echoed the findings of a 2016 task force, formed following a wave of arson attacks due to student unrest.
Both investigations concluded that schools lacked adequate fire preparedness and that safety standards were poorly understood or completely ignored.
“The Hillside Endarasha fire underscores Kenyan schools’ persistent shortcomings in fire prevention and emergency response protocols.
“Kenya cannot afford to lose more children to similar systemic failures. Every school must uphold safety standards and implement fire preparedness training, he remarked.
While some schools have tried installing fire extinguishers, the lack of regular fire drills and inadequate maintenance of safety measures remain alarming.
At Hillside Endarasha, for instance, reports revealed that the dormitory was overcrowded, housing 164 boys in a space not designed to accommodate such numbers.
The exit doors were dangerously narrow, hindering a swift evacuation during the emergency. This tragic incident highlights the urgent need for stricter enforcement of fire safety regulations and better infrastructure in schools to prevent future disasters.
The 2008 Safety Standard Manual, which is in use currently in schools, outlines safety measures that every Kenyan school should follow. The space between beds should be at least 1.2 metres and the corridor path two metres in breadth.
“All doors should be wide enough, at least five feet wide, and should easily open outwards. They must not at any time be locked from outside when learners are inside.
“A clearly labeled emergency exit should be placed in the middle, and each dormitory should have a door at each end. Further, fire extinguishing equipment should be available, fitted with alarms, and well-labeled.
To enhance this, regular patrols should be conducted by school security personnel,” reads in part the safety manual by the Ministry of Education.
The recent fire incident calls for immediate measures to prevent further loss of students’ lives to avoidable catastrophes.
By Nanis Kirugara
