Students at Sameta Boys Senior School in Kisii County were thrown into panic when a fire erupted at one of the school’s dormitories on Monday, June 1.
According to preliminary reports, the fire began during daytime hours while students were in class.
By afternoon, the fire had grown more intense and was visible from afar, as local residents and students worked together to try and extinguish the flames.
Footage later showed a significant portion of the dormitory engulfed in flames, with students attempting to save their belongings.
No fatalities have been reported, though one student who was present in the building when the fire started suffered minor injuries.
The cause of the fire remains undetermined, and officials have not suggested any possibility of intentional involvement. Authorities are continuing investigations to understand what led to the incident.
This incident adds to a concerning pattern of school fires, prompting the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Education to implement new measures for all boarding institutions following the death of 16 girls in a fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil on May 28.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has directed all schools to install CCTV cameras in critical locations to monitor student activities and help prevent future fire incidents.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has mandated comprehensive inspections of all boarding schools nationwide to reduce the likelihood of similar occurrences.
Principals, teachers, and schools found to be compromising student safety during boarding school inspections will face strict consequences once the assessments are completed.
The Cabinet Secretaries emphasize that these measures will prioritize student welfare in residential schools and guarantee compliance with existing safety protocols.
These inspections will particularly concentrate on dormitory facilities, as the Interior Ministry’s previous incident reports identified that most