Kenya's Tragic School Fires: A Nation in Mourning

Thousands gathered to mourn 21 children who perished in a boarding school fire in Kenya. Coffins were adorned with flowers and photos. This tragedy is among many, highlighting ongoing issues of school fires often linked to harsh discipline. Previous task forces failed to resolve these dangers.

Thousands of mourners gathered on Thursday to pay their respects to 21 children who tragically lost their lives in a recent boarding school fire in central Kenya. The memorial service featured rows of small white coffins, each topped with bouquets of flowers and photographs of the young victims from Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri town. The children, aged between 9 and 13, were trapped in their dormitory during the blaze.

"To come to Nyeri and see all these coffins, this is one of the greatest national tragedies that we've had in our country," said opposition party leader Eugene Wamalwa. Kenya has a distressing history of school fires, with more than 60 arson cases reported in public secondary schools in 2018, according to the latest parliamentary data. The cause of the fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy remains unknown, but researchers suggest that student protests over harsh discipline and poor conditions could be a factor.

In 2017, another tragic fire in a Nairobi school dormitory resulted in the deaths of ten girls. A teenage student was subsequently charged with manslaughter for committing arson. Maryanne Mwangi, whose 14-year-old daughter Virlear was a victim, expressed her anger that governmental task forces had failed to improve school conditions. "I didn't want to look at social media because I'm telling myself, 'it can't be happening again,'" Mwangi told Reuters, referring to the Hillside Endarasha fire. "I always prayed Bubbles would be the last child who dies in a school fire," she said, using her daughter's nickname.

According to Mwangi, strict rules in Kenyan boarding schools often lead to discontent among students, some of whom resort to arson to escape the harsh conditions. "Our schools are a school of rules. It's actually like a military camp," she added.

(With inputs from agencies.)