Fear and anxiety swept across parts of Kenya last night after two separate school fire incidents were reported, raising fresh concerns about student safety in learning institutions. The incidents occurred at St. Joseph’s Seminary Senior School in Molo, Nakuru County, and Gankanga School in Tharaka Ward, Kitui County, leaving behind a trail of destruction and renewed national debate over school unrest and fire preparedness.
According to reports, a fire broke out at St. Joseph’s Seminary Senior School late at night, sending students, teachers, and nearby residents into panic as flames lit up the sky. Videos circulating online showed thick smoke billowing from sections of the school compound as emergency responders and members of the public rushed to contain the blaze. Fortunately, no deaths or injuries were reported, but property worth millions of shillings is feared to have been destroyed.
Before many Kenyans could come to terms with the Molo incident, news emerged that another fire had broken out at Gankanga School in Tharaka Ward, Kitui County. The school, widely known for its strong volleyball performance and sporting excellence, also suffered significant property damage. Students were reportedly evacuated to safety as efforts to extinguish the fire got underway.
The two incidents come just days after the tragic dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, where several students lost their lives and dozens sustained injuries, a tragedy that continues to shock the nation. The latest fires have once again placed Nakuru and other learning institutions under intense public scrutiny as parents question the safety of boarding schools and the effectiveness of preventive measures.
Education stakeholders are now calling for urgent investigations to establish the causes of the fires. While authorities have not yet released official findings, concerns are growing over the increasing number of fire incidents being reported in schools across the country.
Parents, meanwhile, expressed fear and frustration, with many saying they no longer feel confident sending their children to boarding schools without stronger safety guarantees.
As investigations continue, Kenyans took to social media to share their reactions:
“Every week we are hearing about a school fire. This is becoming too much. The government must act before more lives are lost,” one concerned parent commented.
Another wrote, “Thank God no student was injured in these two incidents. Property can be replaced, but lives cannot.”
A former student added, “Schools need regular fire drills and better emergency exits. We should learn from past tragedies instead of repeating the same mistakes.”
“Parents are now sleeping with one eye open whenever their children are in boarding schools,” another Kenyan remarked.
The latest incidents have once again highlighted the urgent need for improved safety standards, better student engagement, and stronger monitoring systems in schools across the country as authorities work to prevent future disasters.
