Student after fire burns dorm at Madogo School in Tana River

Fire guts a dormitory at Madogo Secondary School in Tana River County on July 25, 2018. A student suspected to among those who lit the fire has been arrested while hiding in a thicket outside the school. PHOTO | STEPHEN ODUOR | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The other two suspects also believed to be students are still on the run.
  • The 150-capacity dormitory went a blaze at 7 am while students were in class.
  • Form Four students last week wrote a letter to the school’s administration declining to take their end of term exams.

Tana River residents have helped in the arrest a student suspected to have been involved in setting on fire a dormitory at Madogo Secondary School on Wednesday.

County Director of Education Gitonga Mbaka said the Form Two student who was arrested in a thicket outside the school compound is among two others believed to have been involved in the arson.

"The principal has confirmed to us that these students were the key suspects identified by fellow students," he said.

The other two suspects also believed to be students are still on the run, with the school administration having involved the police to pursue them.

DORM DESTROYED

The 150-capacity dormitory went a blaze at 7 am while students were in class, destroying everything inside.

Mr Mbaka also confirmed that this is the same dormitory renovated by the county government in 2016 after students set it on fire.

The events of Madogo Secondary School come barely a week after Form Four students wrote a letter to the school’s administration declining to take their end of term exams.

The students threatened to cause mayhem if their appeal was not addressed in 24 hours.

The school’s administration later let the candidates go home, leaving behind the other classes to continue with their exams ahead of closing on August 3.

Madogo y becomes the fourth school on the county to experience a fire outbreak and the second suspected case of arson after Hirimani Mixed Secondary School.

Causes of fire outbreaks in two other schools are yet to be established, with both schools exempting students from penalties.