Enhance safety standards in boarding schools to avert fire tragedies, ACK

 

Bishop Anthony Mwaura Mambo of Nakuru Diocese

The Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) has called for regular mandatory inspections of all public and private schools nationwide to assess their compliance with safety standards and enhanced safety regulations for boarding schools to avert tragedies like the Endarasha Academy in Nyeri county.

The Church has also petitioned the government to adopt recommendations of various task forces that have investigated school fires in the past and emphasized that any learning institution seeking to be approved as a boarding institution must meet specific operational standards.

Bishop Anthony Mwaura Mambo of Nakuru Diocese while hailing the Ministry of Education for rolling out a nationwide inspection of all public and private basic learning institutions to evaluate their adherence to the guidelines outlined in the Safety Standards Manual for Schools in Kenya, also suggested that the government sets an age limit for boarding schools, arguing that some learners may be too young to escape during an emergency.

At the same time Bishop Mambo challenged political leaders to prioritize development for the people who elected them instead of engaging early campaigns.

He stressed the need for leaders to join hands and support development and service delivery, adding that recent developments where sections of leaders have been meeting and ‘endorsing’ regional kingpins were undermining unity and collaboration which were requisite for development.

Bishop Mambo urged all leaders in the county to collaborate in advancing the development agenda in healthcare, infrastructure, and education, adding that toning down political rhetoric will allow for more productive governance, ensuring that the needs of Kenyans are met effectively ahead of the 2027 general election.

The cleric called for political tolerance and stressed the need for responsible exercise of power among leaders urging them to adhere to their respective roles.

Speaking at the Jehovah Shammah Prayer Center during the Diocese’s Annual Choir Fest that brought together 33 choirs the clergyman said the State should make it mandatory for all boarding schools to have a risk management committee comprising of various professionals and that the government needs to introduce a policy that guides the construction of school buildings.

“Dormitories should be designed by experts in a manner that can help learners escape during an emergency.  We should have a standard way of constructing dorms. As a church we urge the Ministry of Education to turn the recommendations of various task forces into policies to address school fires,” Bishop Mambo said.

Kenya’s boarding schools have a long and tragic history of deadly fires, and the recent incident at Hillside Endarasha in Nyeri County, where 21 learners lost their lives, is sadly not an isolated event.

While the country continues to mourn, three other schools have subsequently reported similar fire outbreaks, among them Isiolo Girls, where three students suffered minor injuries; Njia High in Meru; Bukhalarire Secondary in Busia; and Isiolo Boys, which reported zero injuries and fatalities.

Bishop Mambo expressed regret that investigations following school fires have often pointed to a failure to adhere to safety protocols, adding that those found culpable should be held accountable and subjected to criminal prosecution.

“Firm and decisive action must be taken against Ministry of Education officials, school administrators, and managers found to have violated the safety standards manual,” affirmed the clergy man.

He added “Legal action should be taken on school directors and teachers who flout the Ministry of Education’s laws and regulations that govern safety standards in schools, including installation of fire extinguishers, number of students sleeping in a dormitory, stationing of housekeepers or adults in each dormitory among others.”

These stipulations, he noted, must be followed to the letter to assure every one of the safety of learners.

A 2020 audit revealed that many schools were ill-prepared for fire emergencies, lacking essential equipment such as functioning extinguishers and alarms.

This report echoed the findings of a 2016 task force, formed following a wave of arson attacks due to student unrest.

Both investigations concluded that schools lacked adequate fire preparedness and that safety standards were poorly understood or completely ignored.

Bishop Mambo said dormitories should be fitted with fire extinguishers and have fire escape provisions. In some schools, the cleric pointed out that dormitory windows and doors are reinforced with metal grills making it difficult to quickly escape during an outbreak.

“Every time there is a fire, investigations are done and guidelines for protection of students are reissued. Unfortunately, laxity creeps in once the dust settles until there is another inferno. Fire drills should be frequently carried out to enhance teachers, support staff and learners’ awareness about this grave danger to their own safety,” he pointed out.

One of the deadliest school fires occurred in 2001 at Kyanguli Secondary School in Machakos County, where 67 students perished after a fire that was deliberately set by students on a dormitory housing their schoolmates.

This incident remains the deadliest school arson in Kenya’s history, with similar horrors which have also unfolded in other schools.

In 1988, Bombolulu Girls Secondary School reported a fire incident that resulted in multiple casualties. Three years later, a deadly and horrific incident occurred at St. Kizito Secondary School (1991) in Meru, where 19 girls died during a horrific fire incident that shook the nation.

In 1999, four school prefects were tragically set on fire at Nyeri High, with another arson attack at Moi Girls High School (2017) which claimed the lives of 10 students, shaking the capital, Nairobi.

The 2008 Safety Standard Manual, which is in use currently in schools, outlines safety measures that every Kenyan school should follow.

The space between beds should be at least 1.2 metres and the corridor path two metres in breadth.

“All doors should be wide enough, at least five feet wide, and should easily open outwards. They must not at any time be locked from outside when learners are inside. A clearly labeled emergency exit should be placed in the middle, and each dormitory should have a door at each end. Further, fire extinguishing equipment should be available, fitted with alarms, and well-labeled. To enhance this, regular patrols should be conducted by school security personnel,” reads in part the safety manual by the Ministry of Education.

According to Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba the ongoing mandatory inspections of all public and private schools nationwide seeks to evaluate their adherence to the guidelines outlined in the Safety Standards Manual for Schools in Kenya.

The inspection will involve officials from the Ministries of Education, Interior, Health, and the Department of Public Works.

Officers from county governments and the Kenya Red Cross will also participate.

The Education CS explained that the first phase, currently underway, focuses on boarding primary and junior secondary schools. The second phase will cover secondary schools.

“The Ministry has implemented policies to ensure that all public and private boarding schools adhere to safety standards that provide a secure learning environment,” Ogamba added.

By Anne Mwale and Emily Kadzo