A fire erupted at Ortum Boys High School on Monday, marking another incident in a week plagued by fires across learning institutions.
Videos circulating online show students, dressed in black trousers and grey sweaters, fleeing from the dense smoke billowing out from their dormitories.
Amid the chaos, some students were seen attempting to salvage their mattresses and other belongings.
The blaze, which started around 9:00am, quickly engulfed one of the main dormitories and spread to others, causing panic among the school community.
There is no official report from the school or the police over the cause of the fire or whether there are any casualties.
Local authorities are investigating the cause of the fire. Preliminary reports suggest that it might have started due to an electrical fault, but a full investigation is underway.
Therefore, local authorities announced that they are investigating the cause of the fire. Preliminary reports suggest that it might have started due to an electrical fault, but a full investigation is underway.
This incident at Ortum Boys High School is part of a disturbing trend after fires were reported in several other schools across the country over the past week. On Thursday, a fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy claimed 21 lives.
A day later, students sustained injuries at Isiolo Girls High School while another fire razed down a dormitory and Njia Boys High School.
Education officials, as a result, are calling for thorough inspections and enhanced safety protocols to prevent future incidents.
Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi on Monday proposed the scrapping of primary boarding schools in the country to prevent tragedies such as the one witnessed at Hillside Endarasha Academy.
‘’No primary school should be a boarding institution. Let parents take care of their children till they reach high school,’’ Elachi stated.
Parents and guardians have also expressed their concerns over the safety of their children, urging schools to strengthen their emergency response strategies and infrastructure.
The Ministry of Education has announced plans to review safety standards in all schools to address these concerns effectively.
As the community begins to recover from the shock, efforts are underway to provide temporary accommodations and counselling services to the students displaced by the fire.
