Tengecha Boys High School has been closed indefinitely following a fire that razed several dormitories at the school on Sunday evening, September 5.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

Speaking after the incident on Monday, October 5, Kericho County Education Director Julius Ngoneshi said the school board had met and unanimously agreed to send all students home.

Ngoneshi said the fire mainly affected infrastructure used by Grade 10 students, who number 571, prompting the decision to close the school temporarily as management assesses the damage.

“The board has sat down and decided that it is best for the students to go home. Most of the infrastructure affected belonged to Grade 10 students, who are 571 in number,” Ngoneshi stated.

📌 What You Need to Know

"The purpose of this is to let the school board management assess the extent of the damage, and take necessary measures."

Images and videos from the scene obtained by  Kenyans.co.ke  showed members of the local community joining efforts to put out the fire as they worked alongside students and staff to bring the situation under control.

The blaze proved difficult to contain at one point after flames spread across the affected floor of the dormitory, raising fears that the fire could reach other sections of the institution.

The combined efforts of students, staff, and residents eventually contained the fire, although the second floor of the dormitory was severely damaged, with windows and other infrastructure extensively destroyed.

The education official, however, made it clear that no injuries were reported from the incident, nor did he state the date the students will be expected to report back. At the same time , he confirmed that no arrests have been made so far, with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) having initiated the probe to identify the cause of the fire.

The incident comes months after Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba introduced stricter measures to address school fires and student unrest, with the government warning of accountability for property destroyed during the Third Term, running to October 23.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke