Emotions have ran high at at the farewell of the 21 victims of the Hillside Endarasha Academy fire tragedy in Nyeri county with calls for the government help resuscitate the school and enforce safety in schools
Speaking at the funeral service at Mweiga stadium attended by political and area leaders, Deputy president Rigathi Gachagua has assured the the bereaved families of the government promises of footing their burial fees even as he prayed for their comfort and peace of mind
Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has encouraged the distraught families of the Lord faithfulness in this difficult season of their lives
“I was going to propose a name in memory of these little ones here—Hillside Endarasha Memorial School. Let’s remember these kids,” Kalonzo said,
“We are going to stand with them and the parents of this school,” he said.
This as the education cabinet secretary Migos Ogamba has revealed that the directorate of criminal investigation is still probing the cause of the fire incident that razed down the boys ‘s dormitory 21 days since the fateful morning.
“We are keen to establish the cause of the tragedy that cost these young lives,” Ogamba said.
“The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is leading in this process and we as a ministry are also carrying out an audit to establish if there was any omission on the part of our officers.
“I want to give the assurance that we will hold to account anybody found culpable for this incident,” the CS said.
The CS said the government has already commissioned a nationwide audit of all public and private boarding schools to determine the level of compliance with the school safety manual.
He said action will be taken against schools that will fail to meet the compliance standards.
“We want in the long run to guarantee the confidence of parents, learners and indeed all stakeholders that our schools are not danger zones.”
Speaking during the service, Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga said nine of the 21 pupils who perished in the fire will be laid to rest on Thursday (today).