A guard, a boarding master and a matron have narrated to a Nyeri court how a night inferno at Hillside Endarasha Academy on September 5, 2024, engulfed the boys’ dormitory, leaving 21 students dead and several others injured.
The three, who are among the first group of witnesses to testify in the public inquest set up to piece together the events of that night, told the court that the tragedy occurred just two days after schools reopened for third term.
Appearing before Nyeri Senior Resident Magistrate Mary Gituma, they recounted how they, together with villagers, tried to rescue as many boys as possible from the burning dormitory.
On the first day of the inquest, former school guard James Maina testified that he noticed smoke billowing from the boys’ dormitory at around 10 p.m. while on his routine patrol.
“The fire was at one of the three doors. I immediately began calling for help using a whistle I always carried. At the same time, I started helping the boys out through the other two doors, and some were escaping through the windows,” Maina said.
He added that some boys were asleep while others cried for help, but their pleas were drowned out by loud night-vigil prayers from a neighbouring church.
- Hillside Academy fire death toll tragically rises to 21
- Parents sue over Hillside Academy fire that killed 21 students
Maina told the court that the dormitory patron was absent that night, as he was nursing injuries from an accident earlier that week. Maina had been assigned some of the patron’s duties, albeit with restrictions.
“I was only supposed to patrol around the dormitory to ensure the children were safe. I was not allowed to enter the dorm,” he said.
He said the dorm had three doors, none of which were locked, though they were usually kept shut to keep stray dogs out.
Maina described boys jumping through windows as others jostled for exits.
“The doors were only shut, not locked, and anyone could push them open. The windows had no grills and were wide enough for two people to jump out,” he said.
Good Samaritans formed a bucket brigade to fight the flames until the fire brigade arrived.
“We saved the ones we could. Later that morning we learned some boys had died,” he said.
Beatrice Nduta, who was the school matron, told the inquest she switched off electricity from the main switch as a precaution to prevent the fire from spreading. She said dormitory lights remained on throughout the night, powered by both Kenya Power electricity and solar energy.
“It was instinctive. I thought the fire might have been caused by an electrical fault, so switching off power could stop it from spreading,” she said.
Nduta, whose cubicle was inside the girls’ dormitory, said she was awakened around 10:30 p.m. by a persistent knock from a pupil alerting her that the boys’ dormitory was on fire.
She evacuated the girls and moved them to the classrooms before heading to the kitchen to switch off electricity, leaving only the solar-powered security lights on. She checked the kitchen to ensure it was safe.
“The only thing on was the boiler with githeri for the next day. It wasn’t an open fire and was not a threat,” she testified.
When water ran out at the tanks near the kitchen, she directed villagers and rescuers to additional tanks near the girls’ dormitory.
Former boarding master Kelvin Ndegwa helped describe the dormitory layout. He told the court that the boys’ dormitory was about 10 metres from the kitchen, built mainly from brick with some iron-sheet sections. It could house 164 boys, though 161 had reported that term.
Ndegwa said most beds were metal, with a few wooden ones. He completed his duties around 4 p.m. and left the school at 8 p.m., when everything was normal.
He later heard noise around 11 p.m. but assumed it was from a church hosting a vigil—until his wife alerted him that the school was on fire.
“I rushed to the school and learned the boys’ dorm was burning. The compound was dark because the lights were off. Together with other teachers, we gathered children into classrooms. Firefighters arrived shortly after and put out the blaze,” he said, adding that rescuers were already helping injured pupils.
He said parents rushed to the school, some picking their children at night, while neighbours sheltered others temporarily. Several roll calls were taken.
“The numbers kept changing, so we couldn’t get an exact count. By dawn, we had compiled a clearer list and began contacting parents,” he said.
The matter was referred to court upon recommendation by the Director of Public Prosecutions, who advised that it be handled as an inquest. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced the decision during the Jukwaa la Usalama forum in Nyeri on August 26.
The inquest will proceed on February 5, 2026, before Senior Resident Magistrate Mary Gituma, with more witnesses, including three minors, expected to testify.
– By Wangari Mwangi, KNA
Email your news TIPS to Editor@nairobilawmonthly.com, and to advertise with us, call +254715061658 anytime of the day
