Kenya starts DNA testing for school fire victims

The grim tragedy, that has claimed 21 young lives so far, has raised fresh concerns about safety standards at schools in Kenya – Copyright AFP LOUAI BESHARA

Rose TROUP BUCHANAN

Distraught parents gathered on Monday at a hospital in central Kenya for DNA tests to identify the victims of a deadly school dormitory fire that claimed the lives of 21 boys.

Kenya’s government declared three days of mourning amid public anger over repeated fires and safety lapses in its schools.

The children perished after flames engulfed their dormitory at the Hillside Endarasha Academy, a boarding school in the central Nyeri county, as they were sleeping on Thursday night.

Nineteen bodies were found in the charred ruins of the building, while another two died in hospital. 

All the boys from the dormitory had now been accounted for, government spokesman Isaac Mwaura said.

Officials said the victims in the dorm, aged nine to 13, were burnt beyond recognition and had yet to be identified by their parents. 

President William Ruto has described the incident as an “unfathomable tragedy” and ordered flags to be flown at half-mast on all public buildings from Monday to Wednesday.

“This incident compels us to ensure accountability in all schools across the country and to take every action we can to safeguard the lives of our school-going children,” Ruto said Friday, ordering a full investigation.

The Kenya Red Cross has been offering psychological counselling to traumatised children and relatives, setting up white tents in fields outside the school gates.

The government urged headteachers to be “vigilant” after Thursday’s inferno, which follows numerous deadly incidents in recent years.

There were 117 arson attacks at schools in a three-month period in 2016 alone, according to official figures. 

On Saturday, another fire broke out at Isiolo Girls High School, also in central Kenya. The government statement said three girls were injured, but are “currently stable after receiving medical attention”.

Then on Sunday, a fire destroyed a dormitory at Njia Boys High School in the central county of Meru as students were having supper, a police statement said. No casualties were reported.

Police are investigating whether Thursday’s fire in Endarasha was caused by negligence or recklessness.

Local media reported that an electrical fault in a light bulb was among the possible causes under investigation.

Kenya’s National Gender and Equality Commission said initial reports indicated the dormitory was “overcrowded, in violation of safety standards”.

“This incident raises serious concerns about children’s rights to safety in educational institutions,” the NGO Vocal Africa said in a statement on X.