Kenya must take action to stop deadly school fires, say grieving mother

As a memorial service was held for 21 boys who died in a deadly school fire early this month, Kenyans say the horrific tragedy has brought to the forefront once more the urgent need for improved safety measures in the country's schools. The Endarasha Hillside Academy fire on Sept. 6 tore through a student dormitory as the boys slept. Local media said the victims were burnt beyond recognition. It was just one in a disturbing pattern of school fires, largely attributed to student unrest, that have been documented over the years by authorities. In 2017, a fire started by a student at the prestigious Moi Girls' High School killed 10 fellow students. The schoolgirl who started the fire was later convicted of manslaughter. In a poignant reminder of the human toll of these tragedies, Mwihaki Mwangi told Reuters that her 14-year-old daughter, Bubbles, escaped the fire at Moi Girls' High but bravely returned to save her friends. Bubble's friends survived the fire, but she did not. "I always prayed that Bubbles (Mwangi's daughter) will be the last child who will die of a school fire... But the nature of this country, when the cameras stop rolling, everyone goes to deal with their issues, heal your wounds and Kenya will just move forward," said Mwangi. Wambui Kigwa who survived the Moi Girls' High fire can still remember the terror of the incident. "I just remember the cloud of smoke becoming thicker and thicker and I couldn’t see anything... I just saw my bed burning and I told God to just remove me from that situation and that’s how I managed to get out through a window," she said. The schoolgirls were not prepared for such a situation and none of them were taught what to do in case of a fire, said Kigwa. The increasing incidence of these fires, often reportedly caused by students protesting poor conditions, raises significant safety concerns in boarding schools across the country. Mwangi and Kigwa said the Kenyan government must take decisive action to prevent further loss of life. Dr. Jeffrey Wango, a counselling psychologist and lecturer at the University of Nairobi, said excessive pressure on students is a contributing factor. "The society has also been too demanding so that the student is always imposed upon to excel... they are feeling that the school is a place that is asking too much of them" he said. Kenya has a history of school fires, many of which have turned out to be arson. As investigators look into what caused the blaze at Endarasha, survivors and grieving parents who lost their lost children to Kenya's recurring school fires hope the call for urgent reform will be heard. - Report from Reuters For more ABS-CBN News, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmgG2ln-vtKXb-oLlGEZc3sR Check out the latest news on upcoming Halalan 2022 here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmiGdpGgIvyNSlUsnCKyOzAM To watch the latest updates on COVID-19, click the link below: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmgUjPkc730KnTVICyQU6gBf Subscribe to the ABS-CBN News channel! - http://bit.ly/TheABSCBNNews Watch the full episodes of TV Patrol on iWantTFC: http://bit.ly/TVPatrol-iWantTFC Visit our website at http://news.abs-cbn.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abscbnNEWS Twitter: https://twitter.com/abscbnnews #ABS-CBNHighlights #LatestNews #ABSCBNNews