Bukhalalire High School in Busia County has been closed indefinitely following a dormitory fire that left at least six students nursing critical injuries.
Addressing the press on Monday, May 12, Butula Sub-County Director of Education John Kemei ordered the indefinite closure of the institution to pave the way for investigations.
He noted that the decision to send the students home was reached after a comprehensive meeting with the school's Board of Management (BoM).
While announcing the temporary closure of the school, Kemei commended the locals who reside near the institution for swiftly acting to contain the fire before it spread to other structures.
"We have assessed the situation and we have found out that it is no longer tenable for you to continue to be in school. We want to give you a break so that you can go and relax a bit," Kemei stated.
"We want to thank those who came in the wee hours of the night, at around 1 am, to assist, one who is a former Member of County Assembly who helped quite a number of you," he added.
Meanwhile, witnesses who spoke to journalists revealed that the fire broke out on Sunday night at around 11 pm in one of the dormitories while the students were asleep.
The dormitory, which hosts about 200 students, was completely burned down, with the incident leaving at least six students nursing severe burns.
According to witnesses, four of the students who were in critical condition were initially rushed to the Khunyangu District Hospital before being transferred to Busia County Referral Hospital.
The latest incident comes hardly three days after a similar incident occurred at Igikiro Boys High School in Makuyu, Murang'a County, where fire razed a dormitory, destroying property of unknown value.
The occurrence, which took place on Saturday, May 10, left several students displaced; however, the local authority promptly arrested a prime suspect linked to the alleged arson.
Additionally, no casualties were reported in the fire tragedy, with preliminary investigations revealing that at least three students participated in burning the dormitory.
