Kenya Power has denied that a recent fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County, which tragically claimed the lives of 21 pupils, was caused by an electrical fault.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, the utility company said the power line supplying the school is a low-voltage connection from the Mweiga substation, and it is not the cause of the tragic fire. It also maintained that the supply was stable at the time of the fire, with no issues reported.
The company noted that all their equipment, including metres, cables, and transformers, was intact and functioning properly at the time of the incident. Additionally, the fire did not impact any of the prepaid metres located within the school’s complex or other nearby customers served by the same transformer.
“Based on the findings of the preliminary analysis of our protection system, from the metre box to the substation where the medium voltage line serving the school emanates from, we have ascertained there was no link between the cause of the fire and any fault on our network as alleged in sections of media reports,” the Kenya Power statement read in part.
PRESS STATEMENT: Statement on the recent fire incident at Hillside Academy, Nyeri county ^JC pic.twitter.c*m/txJbzFpM6D
— The Kenya Power & Lighting Company Plc. (@KenyaPower) September 10, 2024
The company assured the public that electrical safety is a top priority for them. They said after learning about the fire, they promptly cut off the power supply to the school as a precaution while dealing with the emergency. They then sent a technical team to the site for a preliminary investigation.
Kenya Power also expressed its condolences to the families affected by the devastating fire.
“On the morning of Friday, September 6, 2024, we received news of a very unfortunate incident of a school fire that razed down a dormitory at Endarasha Academy in Nyeri and claimed the lives of young children.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the affected families during this difficult time, and we wish a quick recovery to all the children who were affected by this incident. May the souls of all the departed children rest in eternal peace,” the statement read.