The Mombasa government is set to conduct a comprehensive fire and safety assessment in all private and public nurseries, primary schools and tertiary institutions.
Governor Abdulswamad Nassir announced on Saturday the initiative aims to identify and address gaps in fire safety measures within educational institutions.
This move follows last week's tragic fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri county, which claimed the lives of 21 pupils.
The fire broke out in a dormitory housing 156 boys.
According to the national government, 139 of the 156 boys have been accounted for, while 17 remain missing and 13 are hospitalised.
In response, Governor Nassir said all schools in Mombasa must undergo a disaster preparedness assessment to ensure compliance with county fire and safety regulations.
“I have issued a directive that, starting Monday, the county’s fire and education departments will begin assessing the fire preparedness of all schools in Mombasa,” he said.
Nassir spoke during the final day of the Seventh-day Adventist camp week at Tononoka Ground.
The governor said county officers will evaluate fire escape routes, ensure schools are equipped with fire extinguishers and provide basic firefighting and first aid training to teachers and students.
“This exercise is meant to identify any fire and safety gaps in our learning institutions. We will also offer basic fire safety training to school operators,” he said.
Nassir announced that all ECDE centres will be fitted with firefighting equipment by the county government.
“For other public schools, we will collaborate with the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) and the Ministry of Education to ensure they are well-equipped with firefighting tools and receive first aid training,” he said.
Nassir also urged private schools to ensure their institutions are adequately equipped with fire safety measures.
“We must always be prepared for disasters,” he said.
Nassir urged other county governments to follow Mombasa’s example and ensure the safety of children in schools.
“I encourage all county governments to implement similar measures to protect our children in schools,” he said.
