By Osborne Benn
Kwanza MP Ferdinand Wanyonyi wants all learners in boarding schools in his constituency to undergo mandatory training on how to respond to emergencies, especially fires.
Mr. Wanyonyi spoke while donating mattresses and other essential items for 110 students at St. Francis Kolongolo Boys whose dormitory was razed down by a fire on Tuesday night while students were having night preps.
“I am calling on the Deputy County Commissioner’s office and relevant disaster management teams to partner with us in ensuring students are equipped with these skills since they can be useful in containing such disasters in schools,” he said.
The legislator also called on the county government of Trans Nzoia to streamline its fire rescue services to be more prompt and effective to avert losses occasioned by fires.
“It is regrettable that property worth Ksh 7.5 million was turned into ashes since the county fire emergency team failed to respond to distress calls by the school administration on grounds that the fire engine was faulty,” noted Mr. Wanyonyi.
He also called on the Kenya Power & Lighting Company (KPLC) to carry out routine checks on electrical installations in learning institutions to ensure they are in the right condition to avoid losses occasioned by faulty writing.
“We suspect that the fire was caused by an electric fault because on the material day, there was a power surge and when restored, it ended up blowing off the security light and spread through the whole building,” said the school head Paul Walela.
Kwanza Division Assistant County Commissioner Beatrice Lukoko said Police are handling investigations to ascertain the cause of the fire but promised to work with the MP to coordinate a training on fire and safety for students.
