Fire burns dormitory hours before exam starts

 

A fire razed down a dormitory at Kihome Secondary School in Othaya, Nyeri just hours before the 2013 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination kicked off.

Security was beefed up following the fire suspected to have been started by unknown arsonists.

70 students were forced to sleep on the floor in the school’s library after all their bedding were burnt down in the fire.

The school has a population of over 270 students with 48 sitting their KCSE exam.

The fierce fire which consumed a two-block dormitory that housed students is said to have started at around 8pm Monday when the students were in class for their evening studies.

Form four candidates were doing their last minute revision in readiness for the national exam.

The Deputy County Commissioner in charge of Othaya, Evans Ogwankwa said the cause of the fire is yet to be established although initial investigations pointed to an arson attack.

He said that some students who rushed to the scene soon after the fire broke out reported seeing two people escape into the darkness on a motorcycle.

He said that investigations had been launched and those behind the fire would be apprehended and brought to book.

Mr Ogwankwa assured the candidates and their parents that security within and around the school would be heightened and the on-going national examination would not be disrupted in any way.

The school’s principal, Martin Gicheha said that the school was doing all within its means to ensure that the 48 candidates sitting their examinations were not in any way disturbed by the unfortunate incident.

He said that soon after the fire they invited counsellors who debriefed the candidates.

They would be doing so continuously to ensure that the candidates were in their best state of mind as they continued with the examination, he added.

“We have held an emergency meeting with the school’s executive board and they have promised to support the school as we try to resettle the boys,” said Mr Gicheha.

The head teacher also said that local leaders and the area Member of Parliament, Mary Wambui had pledged material support to the students whose property was destroyed.

One student told Nation.co.ke that efforts to extinguish the fire were delayed as the locals feared coming to their aid thinking the students were on the rampage.

“As some over us struggled to put out the fire, some were screaming for help from our neighbours but they took some time to respond.

Those who later turned up told us that they had feared we were on strike," said the student.

A spot check revealed that the dormitory had only one exit door and its windows had metal bars, which could pose a danger in times of emergencies as it would be difficult for students to escape.

http://www.nation.co.ke/counties/nyeri/Fire-burns-dormitory-at-Kihome-Secondary-School/-/1954190/2043620/-/12vaj4qz/-/index.html