Ill-fated Hillside Endarasha Academy Dormitory Housed 156 Students, 17 Dead
The Ministry of Education has revealed that the dormitory consumed by fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County on Thursday night, which claimed the lives of 17 students and left others injured, had 156 pupils residing in it before the disaster.
According to reports, the fire began at approximately 11 p.m., with Kiawara firefighters being the first to respond to the blaze.
However, they later requested support from the Nyeri Fire Brigade after determining the blaze was too intense for them to control alone.
The Nyeri Fire Brigade arrived around 3 a.m., but by that time, extensive damage had already occurred.
In a Friday statement, Education Principal Secretary (PS) Dr. Belio Kipsang confirmed that the dormitory, which was destroyed in the fire, housed only boys.
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“The fire resulted in injuries to 14 other students, who are receiving treatment at different hospitals. The school has an enrollment of 824 learners—402 boys and 422 girls. Of these, 156 boys and 160 girls are boarders, while the rest attend as day scholars. All 156 male boarders were accommodated in the dormitory that was affected by the fire,” Kipsang said.
“The Ministry of Education is collaborating with the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, and the Ministry of Health to manage the situation and ensure the injured students receive the best medical care.”
Kipsang also stated that the Ministry of Health has launched an investigation to uncover the cause of the fire.
“As per President William Ruto’s directive, the Ministry of Education is working alongside security agencies to investigate the root cause of the fire at the school. Education CS Julius Migos Ogamba, who is currently on an official trip to China, is returning to Kenya to support local teams in addressing the situation urgently,” said the Education PS.
“Meanwhile, I am on-site leading the local multi-agency response team to manage the crisis. The Ministry of Education extends heartfelt condolences to the families, parents, and friends of the learners who tragically lost their lives in this unfortunate incident,” he added.
Ill-fated Hillside Endarasha Academy Dormitory Housed 156 Students, 17 Dead
