Four pupils killed in Busia school dormitory fire

Four pupils have died, and two others are admitted in hospital with severe burns after fire gutted their dormitory at Victory Nursery and Primary School in Busia Town on Monday morning, authorities have said.

The deceased have been identified as James Magero, 11, (P5), John Richard Oburu, 10,(P4), Mahmood Ali in P3 and Odero Makokha in P6.

Bukedi South Region Police spokesperson Moses Mugwe says the fire started at around 1am as pupils were sleeping.

“We can confirm that four children have died in the fire,” he told Monitor.

Police findings suggest that at least 62 P3-P7 pupils were in the dormitory of the privately-owned school at the time of the fire.

Mugwe said one of the children saw the fire and alerted the others who ran out, but the four victims, who were deep asleep, were engulfed by the raging blaze.

School headmaster Stephen Ojambo said he received information from one of his teachers at around 1am that the boys’ dormitory was on fire, but by the time he informed police, the entire dormitory had been reduced to rubble.

“I alerted police who arrived immediately at the scene but the flame was so strong that within 15 minutes, the whole dormitory roof had collapsed,” he observed.

Hillary Ojambo, who neighbours the school, says he was asleep at the time the fire broke out, but was awakened by “a cry of children calling for help”, adding that when he moved out, he saw “a huge flame and smoke all over the school.”

He added that with the help of some residents, they managed to break the back door to the dormitory, but the fire inside was unbearable.

Ojambo further narrated that it was until the police brigade came and put out the fire that they were able to find the four “badly charred bodies.”

Western Division LC3 chairman Iddi Kibaki, who was at the scene, said the four pupils had been burnt beyond recognition, while the victims’ property, including beds, mattresses, metallic suitcases and books, were all reduced to ash.

‘Fire next to my bed’

Fire survivor Teusi Mafabi said the blaze started next to his bed.

“I woke up and saw fire next to my neighbour’s bed and that is when I called out to my friends to run out,” said the P7 pupil.

With no conclusive report suggesting the cause of the fire outbreak, parent Emmanuel Wandera claimed they have been receiving reports from children of strangers attacking the dormitories in the night, but the school authorities had done nothing about it.

“We had planned to raise this matter (of insecurity at the school) during a parents’ meeting, but our plans have been overtaken by the burning of a dormitory and our children have died,” Wandera said.

He further revealed that part of the school fence, especially on the side of the girls’ dormitory, had collapsed, making it susceptible to strangers to access the school at night.

Haruna Abasi, another parent, said the school only had one night guard, which made it difficult for him to take charge of the entire institution.

Busia Municipality Inspector of Schools Godfrey Barasa said the school owner operated an illegal boarding section.

“Whereas he had started on the process of licensing the boarding section by the Ministry of Education and Sports, the process was incomplete,” he noted.

Asked why he accepted the school to operate a boarding section without a license, Barasa blamed politicians.

“Many schools in the municipality are operating illegal boarding sections, but they cannot be closed because politicians keep interfering with our work,” Barasa said.

By press time, a security meeting chaired by the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Michael Kibwika, had ordered the school authorities to close for a week with immediate effect, while all parents were told to take their children home.