The country has been plunged into mourning following the killing of 17 pupils of Endarasha Academy pupils in a dormitory fire at midnight yester night in Kieni West, Nyeri county
Although the cause of the fire is not yet known, the National Police Service Spokesperson Dr. Resilia Onyango said 14 other pupils with serious burns have since been rushed to hospital for emergency treatment.
The deceased students were burnt beyond recognition in the night inferno.
Cuase of the fire is yet to be established.
A team of police officers led by Deputy Director at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations John Onyango and Director of Homicide Martin Nyuguto has been deployed to the school to commence investigations into the incident.
The Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is expected at the scene of the incident at noon today to condole with the pupils, parents and school management.
Fears are rife the death toll could rise further, with the possibility that more bodies will be recovered from the wreckage.
The cause of the fire remains unknown and authorities have launched an investigation.
President William Ruto has said action would be taken against those responsible for the “devastating” tragedy.
“I instruct relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate this horrific incident. Those responsible will be held to account.” President Ruto wrote on X.
Gachagua, urged school administrators to ensure that safety guidelines recommended by the education ministry for boarding schools were being followed.
The Kenya Red Cross said it was providing psychosocial support services to the pupils, teachers and affected families.
School fires are common in boarding schools, where many students stay because parents believe it gives them more time to study.
In 2017, at least 10 students were killed in a fire at a school in Nairobi. Eight students were killed at a school in Homa Bay County in western Kenya in 2012.
In one of the deadliest fire incidents in Kenya, at least 58 pupils were killed in a dormitory fire at Kyanguli Secondary School outside Nairobi in 2001.
