Five Maranda High School students are being held by the police for allegedly lighting up one of their dormitories.
The five were arrested by the Bondo police on suspicion they wanted to set Gor Mahia dormitory on fire. The dorm houses more than 100 students.
The fire that started on Friday night in one of the dorm's cubicles was immediately contained by students and subordinate staff.
According to the arrested students, no one was injured but a few student items were destroyed.
One of the students – who is allegedly the mastermind of the incidents – denied the claims saying had it not been for a friend who woke him up, he would have burned in the fire.
The cause of the fire has not yet been established according to the students who spoke to us on condition of anonymity. They said this was the third arson attempt this year – they did not, however, divulge more information.
“We are now living in fear because you never know those geared to set ablaze the dormitory and when they will strike,” one of the students told the Star.
However, it is alleged that some of the students and teachers are not happy with the leadership of Principal Edwin Namachanja.
Efforts to get his comment hit a snag as calls went unanswered and text messages not responded to. He was not at the school at the time of the fire.
Our two-hour camp at the school bore no fruits as the two deputies in charge of administration and welfare refused to address us insisting that the principal was the school's only spokesperson.
The incident comes barely a month after Education CS George Magoha visited the school during their celebrations to mark 100 years of existence.
Magoha, who was strict on discipline and performance, urged students to remain focused in their school work.
Edited by R.Wamochie