Nakuru: Four students arrested over dormitory fire at Mageraza Academy

On Wednesday morning, a fire razed down a section of the school dormitory, forcing the school board to close the institution indefinitely pending investigations and repairs. 

According to the chairman of the Parents Association, Lawrence Mogaka, the four pupils were arrested after CCTV footage implicated them at the scene of the accident during the inferno.

Mogaka said the boys will assist in furnishing the DCI officers who camped at the scene early morning with details of what transpired. 

He added that all the students were attending evening classes at the time, but few had sustained injuries while trying to rescue their belongings. 

The board also decided to indefinitely close the school, which has over 800 pupils, due to limited dormitory units and to allow for uninterrupted investigations into the incident. 

Hanny Munyiri, a guardian, said that the administration should not take advantage of the situation to demand more funds from the already burdened parents. 

Munyiri said they should seek alternative funding to rebuild the dormitory in earnest and allow the pupils to resume learning.

He questioned why the administration sent all students home, holding that the suspects should shoulder the full responsibility of the inferno. 

Another parent, Wilson Njenga, claimed that the school had experienced another dormitory fire but had failed to communicate to parents, prompting questions on the safety of learners. 

Njenga emphasised that parents should not be forced to pay more fees to rebuild the facility, but rather those involved should be forced to bear the financial burden.