Thousands of mourners gathered at Mweiga Stadium in Nyeri County on Thursday for a solemn memorial service honoring the 21 boys who died in a tragic dormitory fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy earlier this month.
Grief-stricken relatives wept as they carried the white and gold caskets into a large dome-shaped tent, some 170 kilometers (100 miles) north of Nairobi. The fire tore through the boys’ dormitory on September 6, as they slept in the boarding school. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The youngest victim, described by his parents as “talented and visionary,” was just 11 years old. “It has been 20 days of agony, sleepless nights, and confusion,” said a parent named Mwangi. “We will be burying him at the family home, but he goes with a part of me. I will never be complete without my son.”
Families of nine of the 21 boys were scheduled to bury their children on Thursday. A fellow student, Amos, reflected on the loss in a eulogy, saying, “We have crossed many rivers before, even with strains, but this one is wide, deep, and torrential.”
The tragedy has renewed attention on Kenya’s history of school fires, many of which have been caused by arson and exacerbated by poor safety standards. Over a dozen incidents have been reported this year alone. In 2001, 67 students perished when arsonists set fire to their overcrowded dormitory in Machakos County.
In response, education officials have ordered a safety audit of all public and private schools across the country.
Recent Comments