By Kamundia Muriithi
Property of unknown value was destroyed by a fire that engulfed a dormitory at Kanja Secondary School in Embu East Sub County on Wednesday evening.
The fire started at around 8pm when the students were in class, no one was injured. The cause of the inferno in the 100 student capacity dorm is yet to be established, police have started investigating.
A teacher who sought anonymity as he is not authorized to speak on behalf of the school said locals responded to screams from students and managed to contain the fire but it was too late to salvage the students’ properties.
Boxes, uniforms, bedding, beds and books were reduced to ashes and charred debris.
Parents visited the school after the incident to find out the status of their children demanded for an explanation on the scores of fire outbreaks in the school.
“We are not leaving this school until we establish the truth. This is the third time within three years that a dormitory is being razed in this school. We are tired of paying extra money to cater for the damages caused by fires,” shouted a parent.
Another parent, Esther Muthoni, said the students should not be sent at home, adding that they are not ready to cater for the damages.
The parents claimed that the school principal does not live within the vicinity of the school.
“The head teacher lives many kilometers away from school, we have also learnt the deputy was in Makueni for the secondary school games,” they said.
According to a section of parents, the principal, Samuel Ireri, arrived in the school when the fire had already been put off.
The school’s Board of Management said the principal is not committed to running the institution.
Led by the deputy chairperson of the BOM, Damaris Njeru, said that the principal is a regular absentee.
The BOM called upon the education ministry to transfer the principal as he runs the school from his home.
“He lives at Karurumo, 30 kilometers from here, how he can be able to oversee the running of the school,” wondered another board member.
However, the principal said that he lives within the school compound.
Embu Students lose property in dorm inferno
