DCI probes Hillside Endarasha Academy fire that claimed 21 lives
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has launched an investigation into the circumstances that led to the tragic fire at Hillside Academy Endarasha which claimed 21 lives.
According to a statement released Wednesday by Director of Criminal Investigations Abraham Mugambi, homicide experts and forensic teams are currently investigating the crime scene.
“We are working closely with various stakeholders to determine what led to this tragic incident,” Mugambi stated.
The DCI are focusing on key aspects such as the matron’s whereabouts, the dormitory’s structural and a possible electrical malfunction. However, Kenya Power has distanced itself from any responsibility and ruled out an electric fault as the cause of the fire.
“The line supplying the school is a low voltage line from Mweiga sub-station. At the time when the fire incident occurred, supply was stable on this line with no reported incidences,” Kenya Power said.
The ill-fated dormitory which is situated next to the girls’ dormitory, had similar design but used different construction materials. Preliminary investigations indicate that the dormitory was primarily constructed using iron sheets and wood, which could have accelerated the rapid spread of the fire. David Kinyua Wambugu, the owner of the academy, is being investigated for possible irregularities in the materials.
The use of highly flammable materials in the construction of the boys’ dormitory has led to concerns about potential negligence. Concerns have also been raised about the school’s safety measures, as the metal doors intended to protect students became death traps when the fire started.
Additionally, investigators are trying to determine the matron’s absence on the fateful day. She was reportedly involved in an accident and was unable to attend work that night.
Some parents have come forward to state that on Thursday during the day, there were complaints of unrest among the students.
A grade seven student allegedly told his parents that on the fateful day, some students spent a lot of time in the dormitory discussing “unknown issues” and the atmosphere was tense.
Unanswered questions continue to surface even as the government said 17 children were still unaccounted for.
Postmortems will be carried out at Naromoru Level 4 Hospital to assist with identification as the bodies were burnt beyond recognition.
The Ministry of Education has ordered an immediate inspection of boarding schools across the country. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba announced that the Ministry will conduct inspections of both public and private schools.
The first phase of the inspection which began this week, will cover all boarding primary and junior schools and the second phase will extend the inspection to secondary schools.
The government has promised to settle both medical and funeral expenses for the deceased students.
