The Head of State met officials from the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Education who briefed him on the Hillside Endarasha Academy tragedy that occurred when he was on an official trip to China.
President William Ruto on Monday, September 9 affirmed that schools have no choice but to get in line with government regulations in his latest move to tame the recent and rising trend of school fires in less than a week.
The Head of State met officials from the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Education who briefed him on the Hillside Endarasha Academy tragedy that occurred when he was on an official trip to China.
“Compliance with government regulations on curbing fire accidents in learning institutions is not negotiable. This is the only insurance we have to effectively prevent the loss of life and limb in schools,” Ruto affirmed on his social media handles.Â
He thus tasked the Ministry of Interior to see to it that security agencies expedite investigations into the Hillside tragedy that claimed the lives of 21 pupils, as well as other fires that erupted in other schools after the tragedy.
Scene at Hillside Endarasha Academy following a fire tragedy on September 6, 2024. /FACEBOOK
“Security agencies must speed up investigations on the Hillside Academy fire tragedy and all other affected institutions,” Ruto stressed on the need to give the affected families closure during this difficult time.
With four secondary schools reporting fire breakouts at the premises since the Thursday, September 5 inferno, the Head of State’s rallying call suggests that the matter must be tamed before it spirals out of control.
Never mind that accidents are a common occurrence, even for the most careful folk, the chain of school fires spreading throughout this weekend alone affirms that these are no accidents, but rather intentional occurrences.Â
The main causes of accidents in schools are human-related, that is, they are caused by carelessness, inattentiveness, ignorance, irresponsibility, or negligence on the part of the learners, staff or other stakeholders in general.
Suspected arsonists have exploited the gulley-wide loopholes in terms of enforcement of available safety and security standards by the State which are meant to ensure that the fires do not happen again, causing an unprecedented security challenge.
In the aura of ‘enough is enough’, calls are now intensifying for boarding schools to be abolished in Kenya completely, with Dagoretti North MP, Beatrice Elachi, leading the charge in terms of scrapping primary boarding schools, perhaps in fear that a repeat of the Endarasha tragedy on another primary school would bring irreparable consequences.
‘’No primary school should be a boarding institution. Let parents take care of their children till they reach high school,’’ Elachi stated.
Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura in a previous statement revealed that “While the cause of the fires has not yet been conclusively identified, the Government confirms that it has mobilized all relevant agencies and continues to work diligently to conduct thorough investigations. Those found responsible will be brought to justice.”
Whereas to the naked eye, Mwaura’s statement looks like it would bring some bit of hope, the government and the whole country know now that it cannot tolerate another instance of a school fire, particularly with national examinations to come at the end of the Third Term.
This means that any incident of a school fire that comes from the time this article is published would only fuel the hostility Kenyans have had towards the government for failing to get the very important things done.
Fire engulfs a dormitory at Ortum Boys in Kapenguria, West Pokot on September 9, 2024. /X