Three students sustained injuries following a fire that erupted at a girls’ boarding school in Isiolo town, central Kenya, on Saturday, according to officials from the Kenya Red Cross.
This incident follows a tragic event earlier in the week when 21 children lost their lives in a fire at a boarding school in Nyeri, also located in central Kenya. That fire occurred around 11:00 PM local time on Thursday.
Authorities reported that the fire at Isiolo Girls High School destroyed dormitories before it was brought under control. While the cause of this latest blaze remains unknown, there has been increasing concern regarding safety standards in boarding schools throughout the country due to numerous similar occurrences in recent years.
The injuries sustained by the students are reported to be minor, and they have received psychological first aid as a precautionary measure. Emergency response teams were observed conducting thorough searches of the affected dormitories for any remaining students and to salvage property.
A separate investigation is set to commence on Monday to initiate DNA testing to identify the bodies of students who perished in the Nyeri fire. Currently, 17 children are still unaccounted for, with families gathering at the school seeking answers.
In response to these events, President William Ruto has declared three days of national mourning starting Monday for the victims of the Nyeri fire.
Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine whether negligence or recklessness contributed to the recent tragedy. The Director of Public Prosecutions has emphasized the need to evaluate compliance with safety protocols, referencing past incidents that highlight chronic safety issues in schools.
Kenya has a troubling history with school fires, including a 2022 dormitory blaze in western Kenya that led to arrests on arson charges and a devastating attack in 2017 at Moi Girls High School in Nairobi that resulted in the loss of 10 lives. The deadliest school fire occurred over two decades ago in Machakos County, claiming the lives of at least 67 students.
