A fire at Maragua Secondary School in Murang’a County has left students counting heavy losses after a dormitory was reduced to ashes.
Principal James Gichure Kamau said the Tuesday blaze broke out while students were attending evening studies.
“The dormitory caught fire when the learners were in class for their evening prep,” he said.
Police officers from Maragua Police Station confirmed that the building had been locked from the outside at the time of the incident.
“Our officers established that the dormitory had been locked when the fire started,” a police report indicated.
The Murang’a County Fire Department responded swiftly and managed to contain the fire before it spread to other buildings.
No casualties were reported, but all students’ personal belongings, including mattresses and school supplies, were reduced to ashes.
Police said investigations are underway to establish the cause of the fire.
The Ministry of Education has, over the years, put in place measures to enhance safety in public and private boarding schools.
A key policy document, the Safety Standards Manual for Schools in Kenya, requires institutions to conduct regular safety audits, maintain proper dormitory design with outward-opening doors and escape-friendly windows, and provide adequate spacing between beds and corridors for safe evacuation.
Schools are also mandated to install firefighting equipment, hold fire drills, set up designated assembly points, and ensure round-the-clock supervision through wardens, matrons, and security guards.
