18 students of Makuyu Boys, Girls charged with arson

Nine girls and nine boys from Makuyu Girls High School and Makuyu Boys High School have been charged with arson and attempted arson in their schools respectively.

The girls are alleged to have torched two dormitories on Sunday while the boys attempt to raze down a dormitory on Friday after they lit a curtain on fire. The boys were nabbed with a jerrycan full of petrol.

Appearing before Senior Resident magistrate Agnes Mwangi in Kigumo court where they were charged separately, the students denied the charges and were released on cash bail of Sh40,000 for girls and Sh30, 000 for the boys.

The girls will be back in court on October 24 for the hearing while the boys’ case will be heard on October 15.

Makuyu Girls Principal Lillian Mwema told detectives on Sunday that students from both schools allegedly conspired to burn down dormitories.

"We believe there is a connection between the two incidents," she said.

The two schools are only 2km apart.

The principal said the fire spread so fast and burnt down all the students' belongings but no one was injured.

Last week three, three students from Dr Kiano Boys High School in Kangema were charged with arson t but did not take plea after the detectives sought more time to conclude investigations.

They were accused of burning a dormitory that housed 80 students.

In Ichagaki Boys High School, over 20 students and teachers recorded statements after fire gutted down students’ beddings.

In Kiharu, St Paul Kiambugi Boys burnt down three dormitories while in Murang'a High School a fire incident was reported.