KCPE candidate suffers burns during end-of-exam celebrations
People celebrate the new year dancing around a bonfire. A pupil who had just finished her KCPE examinations was injured during a celebration around such a fire
A KCPE candidate from Nyahururu Town View Academy in Nyandarua County is nursing fire burns that she suffered during bonfire celebrations at the school to mark the end of their primary education.
The private school on Thursday allowed the candidates to light a bonfire and burn their exercise books as a way of celebrating their journey through primary school when the candidate stumbled and fell on the fire.
The 14-year-old girl suffered first-degree burns in the head, eyes and both hands, said Dr Hanes Mureithi of Nyahururu County Referral Hospital, where she was admitted.
“The girl was brought to the hospital with first-degree superficial burns on her wrists and the right side of her face,” Dr Mureithi said.
“She also had some charcoal particles in her eyes. We are trying to contain her situation but we have since referred her to an optician because she cannot see clearly at the moment.”
The girl’s mother, Esther Wambui, faulted the school, saying she learnt about the incident when she went to pick her up at the school on Thursday.
“My question is, why did the school's management wait until the following morning when I went to pick up my daughter to tell me? Secondly, I am told that the celebration went on until 2am. Why would schools allow minors to hold such kinds of celebrations?” she posed.
She accused the school of negligence, saying: “They could not even take her to the hospital despite knowing that she had been involved in an accident.”
Ms Wambui, who reported the matter to the Riverside police post, asked the government to help her get justice.
Contacted for comment, school administrators said they were working with the girl’s parents to help her heal.
“The pupils were very excited about completing their primary school education and on their request we allowed them to have a bonfire celebration after taking their evening meal,” said school manager Stanley Kiragu.
“Unfortunately, one of the students fell on the fire and sustained injuries but she was rescued.”
