Over 150 Students Left Homeless After Early Morning Fire
A devastating fire erupted early Tuesday morning at Bishop Ndingi High School, destroying one of the school’s dormitories and leaving more than 150 students without a place to sleep.
According to initial reports, the fire broke out while students were attending their morning prep sessions on July 22. Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities were reported, as all the affected students were safely in their classrooms when the fire began.
Mwala Deputy County Commissioner David Tegutwa confirmed the incident, stating that the blaze gutted a dormitory named Ngotho. Although no lives were lost, the fire completely destroyed property of unknown value, including student beds, mattresses, uniforms, books, and other personal items.
“Students noticed the fire consuming the Ngotho dormitory during morning preps,” Tegutwa said. “Thankfully, no students were inside at the time since all 150 of them were already in class.”
Following the incident, a joint investigation has been launched by local security teams, the school administration, and the Board of Management to determine the exact cause of the fire. Authorities are not ruling out any possibilities, and thorough assessments are underway.
Bishop Ndingi High School, a mixed day and boarding institution located near Mwala Town in Machakos Sub-County, has a student population of around 287. The school has now been forced to make urgent accommodation arrangements for the displaced students.
This unfortunate incident comes barely two weeks after a similar fire broke out at Onjiko High School in Kisumu County on July 7, where another dormitory was engulfed in flames.
Photos and video clips from Bishop Ndingi showed intense flames and thick smoke engulfing the upper floor of the dormitory, with the roof catching fire shortly afterward.
Firefighters and local residents responded quickly to try and contain the fire, but by the time it was extinguished, much of the building and the students’ possessions had already been destroyed.
Just like in the Bishop Ndingi case, no injuries were reported at Onjiko High School, as the students were also away from their dormitories at the time of the fire. However, students lost personal items and school property, including beds and bedding.
Experts note that the months of June and July often see a spike in school fire incidents across Kenya. These months are generally marked by increased tension in schools as they approach the exam season, which some believe could be a contributing factor.
Authorities are now urging schools to improve fire safety protocols and ensure proper inspection of electrical systems, dormitory arrangements, and student supervision to prevent future tragedies. The Ministry of Education has also been urged to step in and provide support to schools that are struggling to rebuild after such destructive events.
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