Nyeri, Kenya Sep 7 – The full extent of the tragedy at Hillside Academy in Nyeri remains unclear as officials have disclosed that the exact number of pupils who perished in Thursday night’s inferno will only be known after DNA matching is complete.
The fire, which broke out while the children were asleep, claimed 17 lives according to initial reports, but the final figure may differ as bodies were burnt beyond recognition.
During a press briefing on Saturday, government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura struggled to provide clarity, contradicting an earlier statement from the Deputy President. According to sources close to the investigation, the condition of the bodies is such that physical counting is impossible, with some remains reduced to small fragments.
“A team from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and government pathologists is currently working on DNA matching. We’re finding pieces of human remains, and they have ruled out any physical count until matching is completed,” said one source.
The government has so far announced a provisional count of 18 casualties, but this is based on an initial body count done on Friday. Mwaura confirmed that parents of missing children would be asked to visit Nanyuki Level 5 Hospital on Monday to provide DNA samples for identification.
However, Mwaura faced difficulty in accounting for the number of missing children, walking back a previous statement that 20 out of 70 unaccounted-for pupils had been found by their families. The lack of clarity has left parents, many of whom have not seen their children since the fire, increasingly frustrated and desperate for information.
Julius Kaburu, a father who has been searching for his son since Friday, expressed his anguish. “Since Friday evening, I have camped here, waiting for news. I would rather be told my son is dead than kept in suspense,” he said.
Kaburu’s sentiments were echoed by Lucy Wangechi and Ndungu Kuria, who have also been seeking answers. “I have searched everywhere for my brother who was in Class Six, even in hospitals, but I have no information. This is torture,” said Kuria. Wangechi, whose son survived the fire, stressed the need for transparency. “We just want the truth.”
Parents who found their children alive say many are traumatized and in need of urgent psychological support. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has set up a temporary trauma center at the school, offering counseling to 59 affected children.
Wangechi shared that her son, who survived the inferno, is struggling to cope. “Although my son is alive, he’s been having convulsions at night after witnessing his classmates die. He told me they had their ‘last supper’ together. We urgently need counselors,” she said.
As the investigation continues, the school remains cordoned off by DCI officers, with only authorized personnel allowed on the premises. By Friday evening, 27 children had been hospitalized, and 70 were still unaccounted for.
In response to the tragedy, President William Ruto declared three days of national mourning beginning Monday. Flags will be flown at half-mast until Wednesday in honor of the young victims, who were between 5 and 12 years old.
“The loss of children at such a young age is an unfathomable tragedy,” President Ruto said in a statement, extending his condolences to grieving families. He also promised a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire and the reportedly delayed response.
“As your President, I promise that the difficult questions—how this tragedy occurred and why the response was delayed—will be answered, and all responsible parties will be held accountable,” Ruto assured the nation.
This incident adds to a history of tragic school fires in Kenya. In 2017, a fire at Moi Girls High School in Nairobi claimed the lives of 10 students, prompting widespread calls for improved safety measures in educational institutions across the country.
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