Villagers block Gen Z protesters from accessing Endarasha school

The protesters managed to reach the gate around 2pm but the police blocked them from entering the school compound.

According to Keziah Wanjiku, a young demonstrator, they had planned to have peaceful demonstrations but the villagers blocked them from the school.

“We have been here since morning. We only have our smartphones, but the villagers are armed with all types of weapons, trying to block us from accessing the school,” she said.

She added that those who were participating in the demonstration wanted to know what happened and who was responsible for the tragedy.

“We are not here to fight the parents nor the members of the community. We are joining them in the mourning of the lost children. I am a young parent and I am concerned about the safety of our children in schools. The children’s families deserve answers,” she said.

Judy, another young mother who was participating in the demonstrations, said the government was not giving credible information on the cause of the fire and the whereabouts of missing pupils.

“We are not here to fight anybody. We want accountability and facts,” she said.

She added the demonstrations will continue until someone is held accountable for the deaths of the 21 children.

“We have to ask hard questions since nobody is trusting what the government is telling us,” she said.

Kasmuel McOure, an activist, said the government and the school administration should answer questions on the cause of the fire.

“We have been denied access to the school. The people around us do not want us to get answers on the cause of the fire. They have barricaded the roads and there are armed police officers at the gate. We will go back to the drawing board and organise a total shutdown of schools in the country,” he said.