Property worth over Shs.3.5 million was reduced to ashes after a Sunday evening fire gutted down a dormitory at Friends Kivaywa Boys High school in Matete, Lugari Sub County.
Briefing the press at the scene, the school Principal Mr. Augustine Oware said the fire whose cause was yet to be established started at around 7.20PM immediately after the students had settled in their classes for evening preps.
“All had been well until when security guards raised the alert immediately the dormitory caught fire,” said Oware, identifying the affected dormitory as Nabongo West.
According to the school head, nothing was salvaged from the dormitory due to the fast spreading fire which engulfed the whole building before the rooftop curved in.
“Combined efforts from students and available staff bore no fruits since all property inside was reduced to ashes,” added Oware,adding that the fire brigade officers from Kakamega town arrived late before the fire was eventually put out.
None of dormitory’s 66 students, six of them candidates for this year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), were hurt except for the fact, they are now counting losses.
The victims were forced to spend the night with colleagues in other dormitories, “but some slept on the floor in the science laboratory,” the Principal added.
Besides the building valued at Sh.3.3million, it is estimated the affected students lost to the inferno personal effects, including reading and writing material valued at Sh.254,000.
The Principal ruled out the possibility of shutting down the institution and instead appealed for calm as security agencies conduct investigations to establish the actual cause into the inferno.
Preliminary investigations pointed at electrical fault as the possible cause of the fire.
He assured parents and members of public learning activity would proceed on as usual.
“However, we are appealing to well-wishers and stakeholders to come to the rescue of the affected to enable them to get basic personal effects,especially the candidates who are about to sit the national examinations,” appealed Oware who was flanked by Mr. Simon Belengu, representing the sponsor, Friends Church.
Parents, led by Mrs. Catherine Juma, condemned the incident but called for speedy and thorough investigations.
“Our sons are respected for a high level of discipline not only Kakamega county but countrywide as well,” observed Mrs. Juma.
Last academic term the education sector was thrown into disarray after over one
Hundred public secondary schools nationwide experienced similar incidents in which property worth millions of shillings was lost.