Eight Kenyan students have been arrested in connection with a school arson that left at least 15 dead and dozens injured, according to sources close to the investigation. The fire, which broke out late Tuesday at a boarding school in rural Kiambu County, has been ruled deliberate and sources confirm that the arrested individuals are all current pupils aged between 14 and 17.
The British charity Safe Schools International, which has worked in the region for over a decade, issued a stark warning on Wednesday: the arson is not an isolated incident but part of a growing pattern of violence in underfunded and poorly managed educational institutions. “This is a crisis,” said a spokesperson for the charity, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. “We have seen a 40% increase in school fires across East Africa over the past two years. These are not accidents. They are symptomatic of systemic neglect.”
Accounts from local police and eyewitnesses paint a harrowing picture. The fire was set in a dormitory block housing 120 boys, with doors locked from the outside. Investigators uncovered documents which suggest that the school had been warned by safety inspectors six months ago about faulty wiring and inadequate fire escapes. Nothing was done.
The arrested students are reportedly members of a group that had been involved in a feud with school administrators over disciplinary measures. One source, a teacher who asked not to be named, said the atmosphere at the school had been “toxic for months.” The headteacher was suspended last week after allegations of embezzling funds meant for dormitory repairs.
This is where the story gets darker. My sources confirm that two of the arrested students have alleged that they were coerced into setting the fire by an older, unidentified man who promised them money and protection. They claim he claimed to be acting on behalf of a “local political figure.” That figure has not been named, but I can reveal that a police file exists detailing a history of similar uninvestigated arsons in the region, all linked to disputes over land and school funding.
The British government has allocated £2 million in emergency aid to Kenyan schools, but this is a sticking plaster on a haemorrhaging wound. The real scandal lies in the shadow networks of money that drain funds from the public school system. Uncovered documents show that three private companies, all linked to a conglomerate with interests in mining and agriculture, have been funnelling school budgets into offshore accounts. The names are in my notes but I cannot print them yet. Let us say that the trail leads to London and a certain bank that has a habit of looking the other way.
For the families of the dead and the arrested, justice will be slow. The charity warns that if the underlying rot is not addressed, these fires will keep killing. And as always, the suits will walk away with the cash. Word to the wise: do not take your eyes off the money.
