Emotions ran high Friday evening at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri county as parents gained entry into the school and visited the scene of the Thursday night fire tragedy.
Security officers had cordoned off the area after the incident as forensic experts from the DCI took charge of the scene.
Some of the parents who pitched tent at the school had complained about the management's failure to explain the whereabouts of their children.
"We have been here since morning. No one is telling us where our children are. We are told to register at the gate and and stay inside the room and wait for updates," Daniel Macharia, a guardian said.
A classroom had been set aside for them where psycho-social support was being provided.
The move to allow them to assess the area followed the intervention of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
"We are about to begin a very difficult process of taking the parents to the scene. I have had talks with some of them and we have prayed," the DP said after listening to the parents' concerns.
They were escorted by Kenya Red Cross officials and a team of psychologists from the Ministry of Health.
After a brief walk through the charred remains of the building, the parents started emerging from the charred remains of the dormitory one after the other as they struggled to hold back tears.
Some found solace in salvaged personal items, while others simply became overwhelmed by the sight of their children’s dormitory in ruins.
The cause of the 11pm fire was yet to be revealed.
During his address, Gachagua said 37 pupils had by late Friday been reunited with their parents.
He said some 27 others are in hospital.
He emphasised the need for Kenyans to avoid speculation especially on the number of deaths and the cause of the fire, pointing out that missing does not mean they died in the fire.
"The word is unaccounted for. This does not mean they perished during the night incident. We are praying and hoping for the best," he said.
According to the DP, the whereabouts of 86 pupils has so far been established.
He called for patience as he warned against sharing unverified information.
Gachagua urged neighbours who may have given refuge to the pupils who survived to volunteer such information through the number 1199 provided by the Red Cross.
