17 pupils die in dormitory fire at Kenyan boarding school

Seventeen pupils have died after a dormitory at a boarding school in central Kenya caught fire on Thursday night, the Ministry of Education has said.

There are fears the death toll could rise, as 14 other children were taken to hospital with injuries.

According to the BBC, more than 150 pupils were in the dormitory when it caught fire around midnight local time. The school, Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County, caters to children aged between five and 12.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

President William Ruto called the fire “horrific” and “devastating,” and has ordered an investigation, stating on social media that “those responsible will be held to account.”

A team of investigators, including forensic experts, had been deployed to the school, according to police.

Citizen TV, a local station, reported that the blaze spread rapidly because most of the buildings at the school were made of timber.

The Kenyan Ministry of Education noted that the school had 824 pupils—402 boys and 422 girls—with 316 being boarders.

School fires are relatively common in Kenyan boarding schools. In 2022, a dormitory in western Kenya burned down, leading to the arrest of several students on suspicion of arson.

In 2017, 10 students died in an arson attack at Moi Girls High School in Nairobi.

The deadliest school arson in Kenya occurred over 20 years ago in Machakos County, where at least 67 students lost their lives.

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