Tears flow, politics creep in at Hillside memorial service as four pupils buried

Pupils who died in a fire tragedy at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri. [Courtesy]

In two neighbouring villages of Gitegi and Charity, in homesteads not far away from one another, four children, the oldest being 13 years old, were interred Thursday. 

The four were part of the 21 that perished in a fire tragedy at Hillside Endarasha Academy three weeks ago.

After a sombre memorial service in Nyeri’s Mweiga Stadium, despondent families embarked on the process of burying their sons in an exercise that will be completed in three days. 

Known for hosting local football matches, the stadium, a flat sprawl of land slightly larger than a football field and which is behind the matatu terminus in the small town of Mweiga, carried gargantuan tents sheltering a multitude.

Outside, 21 hearses queued to bring the small white and golden caskets for the final prayers for the deceased.  
Wherever you looked, there were Red Cross officials darting around and attending to emergencies. Towards the end of the service, as the caskets were carted away, there were a lot of emergencies as desperate relatives of the deceased children were overwhelmed with grief. 

Tens of cars lined the Nyeri-Nyahururu highway near Mweiga- school buses, matatus, taxis and personal cars- and the areas around the stadium teemed with people as thousands of mourners congregated to pay their last respects, with relatives of the deceased fighting back tears as the ceremony wore on. The town, and pretty much every other shopping centre in the neighbourhood, came to a standstill. 

A host of high level guests, led by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga were present. 

Former Vice President and Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka was also there. 

After the church service, led by Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) moderator Rt Rev Thegu Mutahi, the politicians tried hard to stay away from making political statements, following an appeal by Kahiga. 

But as it were, a few jibes were thrown and proclamations made in light of rumours the Deputy President could be facing impeachment in a few days. 

Mr Gachagua himself spoke little about it. Apart from a subtle dig at  “betrayers” and a promise to not forget, the Deputy President pledged support for Hillside Endarasha Academy as it seeks to rebuild. 

Mr Gachagua delivered a message of comfort and condolence from President William Ruto, who is out of the country attending the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), to the families and relatives of the children. President Ruto, in his message, said the government will continue supporting the affected families and called for strict compliance with the boarding schools’ regulations.

“We are pained by the loss of young lives in the Hillside Academy fire tragedy. They were hardworking with a promising future. As investigations continue we commit to support the families affected by the horrific accident,” said Dr Ruto in his message.

The President also called for strict compliance with regulations to prevent recurrence of such tragedies.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and the Hillside Endarasha Academy fraternity,” the President said.

The embattled DP asked the Ministry of Education officials to to ensure high safety standards in schools.

He also asked Kenyans to pray for the families that lost their children in the fire incident.

Among the first politicians to visit the school after the tragedy, Gachagua expressed his sympathies and promised to “stand with the affected families”.

“We lost innocent souls. Let us continue praying and standing with the bereaved families. Let us show them love and support,” Gachagua said.. 

The mood seemed to lift for a moment after Kalonzo and Democratic Action Party (DAP) leader Eugene Wamalwa promised to stand with “the mountain”, a subtle indicator of possible collaboration should the region lose its standing in the government. 

Mt Kenya boasts considerable political clout and Gachagua has maximised on his ouster bid to convince the public the region is being  unfairly targeted and therefore sidelined. 

The two promised solidarity with the region, attracting wild cheers from the crowd. 

Gachagua called on political leaders to treat the people of Mt Kenya region with kindness, insisting that the people “forgive but never forget”.

“The Mountain people are kind, loving and supportive. They return love and kindness with the same love and kindness. They are very forgiving but they do not forget. I have appealed with everyone to treat people of Mt Kenya with kindness because it is the right thing to do,” he said. 

Other leaders who joined the DP at the memorial service were Cabinet Secretary for Education Migosi Ogamba, and his Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang. A host of political leaders, including Nyeri Deputy Governor David Kinaniri, Senator Wahome Wamatinga, Woman Representative Rahab Mukami and the area (Kieni) MP Njoroge Wainaina were also present. 

CS Ogamba said the Ministry will carry on with the ongoing audit of schools to ensure compliance with requirements of the Safety Standard Manual for schools.

“The loss of the young lives will not be in vain. This is a turning point. Schools must be safe for our hildren. Parents should not live with anxiety about the safety of their children in school. We are keen to establish the cause of this and other tragedies and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is leading the process,” he said.

The school is yet to reopen.