Hillside Endarasha Academy Fire: What (Possibly) Went Wrong and How We Can Prevent Future Disasters

21 children aged between 9 and 13 years old lost their lives two days ago, on September 6th, in a dormitory fire at the Hillside Academy School in Endarasha, Kieni Constituency, Nyeri County, Kenya. The tragedy is the latest in a long line of boarding school dormitory fires in Kenya, over the last few decades. In this article, we set out to analyze what could have gone wrong, why children so young were in boarding school in the first place, what the government could have done better, and what can be done to avoid such incidences in the future.

A Note of Condolences to the Families: Before we get started, as Mania Africa and myself, we want to send our deepest condolences to all the affected families. We pray that God gives them strength to cope with this tragedy of immeasurable proportion and we pray for comfort and solace for them as they navigate this tragedy. There is nothing that is as painful as losing a child and we want to share our heartfelt condolences as we console with them as a country. May God’s love and light be with the entire Hillside Academy Community. God grant them peace and may the children Rest in Eternal Peace and Light. Amen. ❤️️

Disclaimer: The events of the Hillside Academy Endarasha fire tragedy are highly sensitive and it has taken a lot of thought and reflection on whether, as Mania Africa, we have the expertise, knowledge, or skills to write on the topic and do it objectively. We want to make it clear that this article is not intended as a formal indication of what has really happened or why it happened and as such, it should not be taken as a be-all end-all or as a primary source of information. Simply put, we do not have the authority to inform the families or the general public of how events unfolded and we are writing only in speculation and going on the scant information the authorities have provided this far. As such, for actionable information on the tragedy, please reach out to the Kenyan government, the Red Cross Society of Kenya, and reputable news organizations in the country. We appreciate the sensitivity of this matter and do not take it lightly that children lost their lives in this terrible tragedy.

Hillside Academy Endarasha Fire Tragedy: Key Takeaways and Future Safety Measures

What We Know: Numbers of Those Dead and Those Still Missing

The Hillside Academy Endarasha fire has so far claimed 21 children’s lives according to government spokesperson, Isaac Mwaura. As of the evening of September 7, Mwaura indicated that of the 156 children who were sleeping in the raised-down dormitory, 139 have been accounted for, thus far, and 17 are still missing.

Nyeri school fire: 21 pupils dead

Death toll from the dorm fire tragedy climbs to 21
Police continue combing Hillside Endarasha Academy

Mwaura: We are yet to account for the missing 17 pupils
Police have moved the 19 charred bodies to the morgue#CitizenWeekend @OBurrows pic.twitter.com/VQlQu343bW

— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) September 7, 2024

Of the 139 accounted for, 21 lost their lives in the fire, 19 of whom were burnt beyond recognition, and 3 who died while receiving treatment in various hospitals. Of the latter three—Mwaura shared—one died at KNH, and another at the Mary Immaculate Hospital.

At the school compound today, DCI officers, working together with other agencies, and in the presence of the government chemist, Mr. Oduor, collected the bodies of the dead children, which were moved to the Naro Moru Hospital Mortuary.

According to the government chemist, the identities of the bodies are yet to be known and starting Monday next week, affected families will gather at the Naro Moru Hospital where the government will collect DNA samples from them, to compare with the DNA samples of the bodies. DNA sequencing of the remains will take place over the next week or so—approximately—and it is then that the families will be informed whether their kids were part of the 21 known to have lost their lives in the fire.

As the situation stands, parents whose children are still missing are either part of those who died or part of the 17 missing. Therefore, it is crucial to note that it is not guaranteed that if a child is missing they died, and it is also not guaranteed that since some children are still missing,