Second school fire razes twin dorm in Meru County

Property worth more than Sh7 million went up in flames after suspected arsonists torched a twin dormitory at Ndagene High school, in Imenti South, Meru County on Wednesday evening.

This was the second school fire in the county after a dormitory was burnt down at Ruiri Girls in Buuri East, just as students returned from a one-week break on Tuesday.

The Ndagene fire thought to have been started by some students completely damaged the buildings with the roof caving in as the timber was consumed by the inferno.

Only a few of the 200 students who occupied the dormitories managed to salvage some personal effects as the fierce fire quickly spread in the building.

School Principal Peter Njoroge said the incident could be arson since electricity was off when the fire erupted.

“The students had just left their classrooms and were drinking coffee. We are saying that it is the students because power was off in that part of the institution during the time of the incident. Investigations have started. Public property should be respected,” he said.

Police said they had not yet established how the fire was started.
Teachers and students battled the fire before firefighters from Meru town arrived and put it off.

None of the students was injured and those affected were accommodated in other dormitories.

Meru Central Knut executive secretary Caxton Miungi condemned the fire incidents and urged students to keep calm even as end of year examinations neared.

“Though the investigations are ongoing, we have seen scenarios where when exams draw closer, we experience school fires emerging. Some wayward students who are afraid of examinations could be involved,” he said.

The official regretted that such destruction of property could overburden the overwhelmed parents hit by hard economic times.

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