On Tuesday evening, a fire broke out at Isiolo Boys High School, just three days after a similar incident at Isiolo Girls High School, which is nearby. This latest fire adds to a troubling trend of recent school fires in Kenya.
The Kenya Red Cross has mobilized teams to handle the situation. Videos from the scene showed thick smoke coming from the school, and onlookers were seen watching in shock as the fire destroyed property. At this time, the cause of the fire and the full extent of the damage are still unknown.
Earlier, a fire had occurred at Isiolo Girls High School. The Kenya Red Cross had also reported this incident and had sent teams to respond. The repeated fires at these schools have led to speculation that they may be deliberately set.
Additionally, fires were reported at Yemit Boys High School on Monday evening and at Father Makewa School in Machakos County on Tuesday morning. These incidents follow a nationwide mourning period declared by President Ruto, who has ordered flags to be flown at half-mast to honor victims of a fire at Hillside Endarasha School in Nyeri County last week.
President Ruto has instructed security agencies to accelerate their investigations into these fires, emphasizing that adherence to fire safety regulations in schools is crucial to preventing further tragedies. The findings from these investigations are expected to be submitted to the President soon.