Nairobi — A dormitory housing 150 students was burnt down Sunday evening in an incident at Njia Boys High School in Meru.
The fire is the latest in a series of blazes affecting schools across Kenya.
According to authorities, the fire started while students were having supper.
Police from Kangeta Police Station, along with the Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit (CIPU), responded to the scene.
The police said the fire consumed everything in the dormitory named Jamhuri.
“The inferno consumed everything, and property of unknown value was destroyed,” read a police report obtained by Capital News.
This incident comes on the heels of another fire at Isiolo Girls Secondary School the previous night.
Authorities, including local police, the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), and fire engines from Isiolo Airport, managed to contain the fire before it could spread.
Tragic Endarasha fire
Police Spokesperson Resila Onyango confirmed that there were no casualties in that incident.
Just days earlier, a tragic fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy Primary School in Nyeri County claimed the lives of 21 students.
The devastating blaze occurred around midnight while most of the children, aged around nine, were asleep.
Nyeri County Police Commander Benjamin Rotich confirmed the fatalities and stated that 14 others sustained serious injuries.
Investigations into the cause of the Hillside Endarasha Academy fire are ongoing, with authorities working closely with the school’s administration to uncover the source of the deadly blaze.
The fire incidents renewed concerns over fire safety protocols and emergency preparedness in schools across Kenya, as the country grapples with the rising frequency of school fires.
In yet another related incident, Othaya Boys High School in Nyeri experienced extensive property damage following a student strike.
According to police reports, unrest began after students refused to return to their dormitories after supper.
The situation escalated rapidly, resulting in broken windows, damage to laboratory equipment, and destruction of the school’s main gate.
Officers from Othaya Police Station and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) responded to the incident.
The school suspended all students pending further investigation.
The spate of fires and unrest has heightened concerns about student safety and the adequacy of emergency response measures in schools across the country
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)