PROPERTY worth more than Sh500,000 was reduced to ashes after a fire gutted a dormitory at Kaharo Mixed Secondary School in Maragua on Tuesday evening. According to councillor Joseph Gitau, the inferno the 6.30pm is suspected to have been started by some students, who had reported to school on that day.
He said police have ruled out an electric fault after investigations on the cause of the fire. “We don’t know what caused the fire, but so far we have ruled out any possibility of an electric fault as the power had been disconnected by then,” said Gitau. He said no one was injured in the incident because the 83 students, who had reported to school were not in the dormitory. He said 100 beds were destroyed in the fire.
“About 80 students had reported to school despite the ongoing teachers strike, but luckily no one was injured,” added Gitau. Meanwhile, the students were sent back home following the incident until far notice. “Together with the school board, we have decided to send the students back home so that we can repair and replace the burnt property,” he added.
Gitau urged the police to investigate the cause of the fire and ensure that those who torched the building are apprehend. Earlier, MP Elias Mbau visited the school and promised to allocate money from CDF for the repair of the dormitory and buy beds. Elsewhere, Murang'a Kuppet has criticised their Knut colleagues for trying disrupt promotion examinations for head teachers.
Led by branch executive secretary Phillip Kimani, the
officials condemned the move by hundreds of Knut members to
disrupt the exams at Mumbi Girls Secondary on Monday. “We do not support the move and it was wrong for some people to deny others a chance to sit their exams,” said Kimani.
On Monday, six striking teachers were injured and four Knut officials arrested
as police tried to stop them from disrupting the exams for head teachers. The Kuppet members vowed to join the ongoing teachers' strike to press for better pay, allowances and harmonisation of their salaries with other civil servants. They were speaking at Ihura Stadium yesterday.