By Akani Nkuna
Police are investigating the cause of a fire that has claimed the lives of 17 pupils at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County in Kenya.
“More bodies are likely to be recovered once [the] scene is fully processed,” police spokesperson Resila Onyango told international media.
The news has sent shockwaves through the country. Kenyan President William Ruto said on X that the deaths were devastating, and he was praying for the families of the victims.
“The government under the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of the national government is mobilising all the necessary resources to support the affected families,” Ruto said.
The academy has around 800 pupils who are aged between five and 13. It is located 150km north of the capital city Nairobi.
The pupils, who are all boys, were reportedly sleeping in a dormitory when the fire broke out. More than 10 pupils are injured.
Ruto promised swift police action to arrest those who are responsible for the incident.
The Kenya Red Cross alongside a multi-agency response team is providing trauma counselling to the pupils, teachers and affected families.
It said on X it has also set up a tracing desk at the school
