Westminster is waking up to grim news from Kenya. A school fire has claimed the lives of 16 children in what is already being called a national tragedy. The blaze ripped through a dormitory at the Hillside Endarasha Academy in central Kenya.
The cause is unknown. But the British government is already moving. Safety experts are being dispatched.
Fast. This is classic Whitehall crisis management. A quiet word from the Foreign Office.
A rapid deployment of technical specialists. It plays well at home. It builds goodwill abroad.
But make no mistake: this is also about optics. UK soft power in action. The PM is expected to make a statement later today.
Labour’s shadow team has already offered condolences. No word yet on whether the victims’ families will seek compensation. That will come.
The tragedy has reopened old wounds about safety standards in African boarding schools. British investigators will be looking at fire escapes, alarms, building materials. Standard stuff.
But the subtext is political. Kenya is a key partner on trade and security. This cements the UK’s role as a trusted friend.
Cynical? Maybe. But that’s how the game is played.
More details as they come.
