A fire tore through Christ the King Kirwara Boys High School in Gatanga, Murang’a County, on Wednesday afternoon, August 26, just as students were settling back in after the mid-year break.
Footage from the scene showed flames and heavy smoke billowing from sections of the compound as the situation unfolded. Students in the affected areas were moved to safety while emergency crews worked to bring the blaze under control.
Among the casualties of the fire was a school bus parked within the compound, which was destroyed. Several school buildings were also reported to have been engulfed in the flames.
Murang’a County’s fire engine was dispatched to the scene, and responders worked to keep the fire from spreading to the rest of the compound. School officials were on hand coordinating the response alongside emergency teams.
Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries connected to the incident. What sparked the fire remains unclear, and the full scope of the damage has yet to be confirmed.
Part of a Troubling Pattern
The Kirwara fire is the latest in a string of school fires reported across Kenya in recent months. Just a day earlier, a dormitory was affected by fire at St Michael Secondary School Kyenire in Mbeere North, Embu County. And in July, an administration block was damaged in a fire at Jomo Kenyatta Boys’ High School in Nakuru County.
Meanwhile, Fire Also Hits Kibra
Separately, on the same day, a fire broke out in Gatwekera, Kibra, Nairobi, near the Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) headquarters. More than 20 structures — mostly homes built from iron sheets and wood — were destroyed as flames spread quickly through the densely packed settlement.
Nairobi County’s disaster management team eventually brought the fire under control just before noon. One girl was injured and taken to hospital for treatment; no fatalities were reported. SHOFCO credited its aerial water piping system, along with the efforts of residents, volunteers, and emergency responders, for helping contain the damage.