21 Endarasha Academy pupils to be laid to rest next week

Kenya Red Cross personnel assist the parents who were overwhelmed after viewing the scene at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri county on September 6, 2024, after a fire broke out, killing 21 children. [Kibata Kihuu, Standard]

The 21 students who perished in the fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy will be laid to rest next week.

The school is set to reopen after the burials to allow Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) students to prepare for their upcoming examinations.

As this happens, parents are also waiting to receive the DNA results, which will help them identify the remains of their children.

According to the acting regional commissioner Pius Murugu, all the investigations at the scene have been concluded, and the school is no longer a crime scene. The school has been handed over to the management, and a report will be released on the findings.

"After weeks of investigative work by the DCI, the investigation has now concluded, paving the way for the funerals next week. Families who lost loved ones in the tragedy will finally be able to lay their deceased to rest and begin the healing process," he said.

He added that there will be an interdenominational memorial service held in Mweiga, Nyeri County, before the children are laid to rest.

"By the end of this week, parents will have the DNA results, and the names of the pupils who perished will be made available. We have organised for the burials to take place next week, and there shall also be a memorial service in memory of the pupils who lost their lives," he said.

Murugu added that the school shall reopen after the 21 pupils are buried to pave the way for normal learning to resume.

"The reopening date shall be communicated later after the burials. The government is taking care of the victims and has fully budgeted for all the expenses that have occurred," he said.