Mokowe Secondary School fire: Sh7.5m property destroyed
Mokowe Mixed Secondary School principal Thaddeus Mugute on July 13, 2018 said property worth at least Sh7.5 million was destroyed after fire gutted a boy's dormitory on Thursday night, July 12, 2018. PHOTO | KALUME KAZUNGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
Principal Thaddeus Mugute said the fire started at around 8.15pm in one of the dormitories as students were attending night preps.
Dormitory housed 93 students but no one was was harmed during the night incident.
Property worth Sh7.5 million has been destroyed after fire gutted a dormitory at Mokowe Mixed Secondary School in Lamu West on Thursday.
School principal Thaddeus Mugute said the fire started at around 8.15pm in one of the dormitories as students were attending night preps.
More than 90 mattresses, beds and students’ belongings, including uniforms, metal boxes and other items, were destroyed during the evening inferno.
“It was around 8.15pm when we heard a bang coming from the dormitory section. When we came out, we saw huge flames coming from one of the boys’ dormitory. We didn’t save anything. Property destroyed is around Sh 7.5 million,” said Mr Mugute.
The boy’s dormitory housed 93 students and no one was harmed during the incident.
The cause of fire has not yet been established.
WAY FORWARD
Mokowe Mixed Secondary School, which accommodates boarding and day learners, has 393 students.
Lamu West Sub-County education officer Josphat Ngumi called a meeting on Friday morning to discuss a way forward after the fire incident.
“In fact, we had planned to have all secondary school principals today to discuss issues on security in our schools over the ongoing fire tragedies across the country... We will be meeting this morning [Friday] at Mokowe Secondary School and we will give directives shortly after the meeting. So far, I can’t confirm whether the school will be closed or not,” said Mr Ngumi.
On July last year, 10 students were arrested by police for attempting to set the school on fire.
The Form Three and Four students were arrested while in possession of several jerrycans of petrol and match boxes.
HUNGER STRIKE
The Mokowe fire incident comes just days after students of Witu Secondary School in Lamu West were sent home for a week after a three-day hunger strike.
According to Mr Ngumi, the students were protesting ‘bad food.’
“We had to send all of them home for one week after all the students refused to eat or attend classes. We have already met as board members and decided that all the students return on Monday next week,” said Mr Ngumi.
On May 17 this year, Lamu Boys Secondary was closed for two weeks after three fire incidents were experienced in the school in just one week.
The unrest and fires have continued even after Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed issued new measures to stem wave.
On Monday, Ms Mohamed ordered all boarding schools to double the number of teachers on duty over the next two weeks, with greater emphasis on surveillance of boarding facilities when students are attending evening preps.
125 STUDENTS
The ministry has also directed school administrations and boards to take firm steps to ensure learning continues unaffected.
Quality assurance officers in all counties have been directed to file daily reports on the security situations in their regions with clear explanations on any existing gaps.
Ms Mohamed said 125 students have so far been arrested over the recent strikes that she blamed on fear of exams and indiscipline.
While the Education ministry puts the tally of schools that have been closed last week over unrest, Nation tally puts the number at 16 in Western and Nyanza regions only.
The top-performing Maranda High School is among schools that have been hit by unrest in the past week.
Others are: Kisumu Girls, Ng'iya Girls, Ambira, Maliera, Onjiko, Otieno Oyoo, Chulaimbo, Oriwo, Ngere, Kandiege, Usenge, Barding, St Augustine Nyamonye, St Mary's Girls Mumias and Litein Boys High School.
