DCI investigates Hillside Endarasha Academy fire
Central
By
David Njaaga
| Sep 11, 2024
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has launched an investigation into a fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri that claimed 21 lives.
The incident occurred on the night of Thursday, September 5.
Director of Criminal Investigations Abraham Mugambi, in a statement on Wednesday, September 11, said forensic teams and experts from the Homicide Directorate are examining the scene.
"We are working closely with various stakeholders to determine what led to this tragic incident," Mugambi said.
The academy had 330 boarders, including 166 girls and 164 boys. On the night of the fire, 156 boys were in the dormitory. Two of the five boys admitted to hospital have died from their injuries, with the remains of 19 boys recovered from the dormitory.
READ MORE
Inside tendering delays likely to hurt Grade 11 textbooks rollout
10,000 Kenyans enrolled in long term care for diabetes and hypertension
Bishop questions Sh11.9 trillion public debt as hardship bites
Greedy developers and corrupt county leaders killing our cities
2025 KCSE: Boys outshine girls in Maths, Biology, Chemistry
Intra-African trade hits Sh28.8tr, but AfCFTA rollout lags
Kenyan jailed in US over terror plot akin to Sept 11
Kenyan Al-Shabaab member sentenced to life in US for September 11-style plot
Kenya ups local production of home appliances
Cytonn, creditors suffer a streak of losses at the Court of Appeal
Mugambi noted that DNA samples from victims' families have been collected for identification, as the bodies were severely burned. Autopsies are scheduled for Tuesday, September 22.
The DCI is coordinating with the Central Region Disaster Management Committee, fire safety experts, and other relevant authorities to investigate possible negligence or other contributing factors.
This investigation follows Kenya Power's finding that no fault in the electrical network contributed to the fire, as claimed by some media outlets. Duncan Machuka, Kenya Power Business Manager for Nyeri County, led the investigation and confirmed that the company's installations, including meters, cables, and transformers, were unaffected.
"Our team immediately switched off power to the school as a precaution. Preliminary analysis shows that supply was stable with no incidents reported at the time," Machuka said on Tuesday, September 10.
"Two prepaid meters in the school and nearby customers using the same transformer were not impacted," he added.