Hillside Academy Fire: Education PS Belio Kipsang Appeals to Parents for Help in Accounting for Pupils

Kenya, a fire broke out last night, resulting in the loss of 17 young lives and leaving 14 others injured. The disaster, which took place in a boys’ dormitory, has left the community in shock and grief. Education Principal Secretary (PS) Belio Kipsang has appealed to parents, guardians, and community members for their assistance in accounting for all pupils affected by the fire.

The affected dormitory, which housed 156 boys, was completely engulfed in flames. Hillside Endarasha Academy, a co-educational institution, has a total enrolment of 824 learners—402 boys and 422 girls. Of these, 156 boys and 160 girls are boarders, while the rest attend the school as day scholars. The PS, who visited the site to assess the situation, highlighted the urgent need to account for every child who was in the dormitory during the fire.

“We are trying to account for every child,” PS Kipsang stated during his visit. “We are asking parents who may have picked their children and members of the community who may have assisted last night in the Hillside Academy that was burnt, to help account for them.”

The PS emphasized that the immediate goal is to ensure all students are accounted for and to provide the necessary support to affected families. In light of the tragedy, he also urged parents who may have taken their children home during the chaos to return them to the school to aid in the ongoing accounting process.

The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) has stepped in to support the efforts by establishing a tracing desk at the school. Esther Chege, the head of KRCS in the Mt. Kenya region, explained that the tracing desk would assist parents in identifying their children and obtaining crucial information. “In the tracing desk, we will be able to get all their details, including those in hospital, so that we can advise on how to access them,” she said. The tracing service is expected to be a crucial resource for parents and guardians who are desperately seeking information about their children.

In the wake of the tragedy, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, who was on an official trip to China, is reported to be on his way back to Kenya to join local teams in addressing the situation. His immediate return underscores the gravity of the incident and the need for high-level intervention in the aftermath of the fire.

PS Belio Kipsang’s appeal for community support extends beyond accounting for the pupils. He called upon those who may have assisted during the emergency to come forward. This appeal is vital for providing authorities with accurate information to piece together the events leading up to and during the fire, thereby aiding in the ongoing response and investigation into the cause of the incident.

The authorities are working tirelessly to provide support to the affected families. However, the scale of the tragedy and the emotional toll on parents, students, and the broader community are immense. The fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy is a sobering reminder of the importance of fire safety in schools and the need for prompt and effective emergency responses.

As the investigation into the cause of the fire continues, the focus remains on supporting the families who have lost loved ones and those whose children are recovering from injuries. The community’s collective effort will be crucial in the coming days as they navigate through the aftermath of this devastating event.

The Kenyan education sector, along with emergency response teams, faces the challenging task of ensuring that such tragedies do not recur and that the safety of learners is always a top priority.