The recent fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri, which claimed the lives of at least 17 students, has reignited memories of tragic school disasters in Kenya’s past.
Some of the pupils who perished in the Hillside Endarasha fire were burnt beyond recognition as they slept in a dormitory that housed 156 grades 4-8 boys.
While more of the tragedy is available here, here is a list of some of the deadliest school tragedies in the history of Kenya
1. St. Kizito Secondary School, Meru (1991)
On July 13, 1991, St. Kizito, a coeducational boarding school in Meru County, Kenya, was the site of a horrific attack where male students raped 71 girls and killed 19.
The violence began after the girls refused to participate in a strike organized by the boys. In retaliation, the boys cut the electricity to draw the girls out of their classrooms. When the girls gathered in an overcrowded dormitory for safety, the boys raped them, stoned the dormitory, and set it on fire.
In response, the deputy principal, Joyce Kithira, infamously remarked that the boys “never meant any harm against the girls. They just wanted to rape,” which led to her dismissal and subsequent reinstatement.
Reportedly, rape was a common issue at the school. The outrage from this tragedy led to the immediate closure of the school and the arrest of 39 boys involved in the attack.
2. Bombolulu Girls (1998)
In 1998, a devastating fire at Bombolulu Girls Secondary School near Mazeras, Kwale, killed 26 girls.
The fire started in a crowded dormitory with about 130 students.
One of the two doors was locked from the outside, and all ten windows were barred, making it hard for the girls to escape.
Some of the girls died in a stampede as they tried to escape through the narrow doors.
The school was later renamed Mazeras Memorial Girls’ School to honor those who lost their lives.
3. Kyanguli School Machakos (2001)
On the night of March 25, 2001, a horrific fire tore through a dormitory at Kyanguli Secondary School in Machakos, claiming the lives of 67 boys.
The fire was set deliberately by two 16-year-old students, Davis Onyango Opiyo and Felix Mambo Ngumbao at 1:40 am. They were frustrated with the new principal and other school issues. They had planned the attack, buying petrol and setting the fire while 160 boys slept in the dormitory.
The dorm had only two doors, one of which was locked, and iron bars on the windows, trapping many inside.
Some students managed to escape through the collapsed roof. But the majority were overwhelmed by the smoke and flames.
Legal action was started, but a mistrial happened in 2006 because of corruption claims.
Today, a memorial park is where the dormitory used to be. And in 2019, the government paid compensation to the victims’ families.
5. Moi Girls High School, Nairobi (2017)
On September 1, 2017, a fire at Moi Girls High School in Nairobi killed ten students.
A 14-year-old girl started the fire by setting her bed ablaze. She did this to force a transfer from the school she deeply disliked.
She had been admitted through her parents’ influence, not on merit, and she hated being there.
The blaze quickly spread, trapping students in the dormitory, which housed 354 girls as they scrambled to escape.
In 2021, the perpetrator was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to five years in prison.
She was acquitted on murder charges.
By Vivian K.