Reopening of Endarasha Hillside Academy pushed to October 9

Almost a month after the Endarasha Hillside Academy fire tragedy that took the lives of 21 boys, the school has postponed its reopening by two days.

"We have looked at those recommendations against the checklist and we realized that the preparations are in top gear; however, we realized that there is some work that's incomplete, and the fundis told us that it was not possible to be complete by Sunday," Jane Njogu, Nyeri County Director of Education, said.

The school has reduced the number of children who are boarding, with all wooden beds in the girls' dormitory replaced with metallic ones as per recommendations by the committee that examined safety in the school.

The boys will be accommodated in Junior Secondary School (JSS) classes in the meantime as construction of their dormitory is ongoing. One of the requirements was to eliminate all wooden structures.

The Thursday meeting at the school was meant to ensure all safety measures are in place ahead of the reopening.

"We realized that parents were also becoming anxious because the assessments for classes other than KPSEA had started, so we want to come and assure them that all is well," Njogu added.

"Kwa sasa tumesaidia watoto wetu nyumbani. We have been counseling...my brother, tulimpeleka therapy, tukampeleka kanisani. Tumemshughulikia, tumemuongelesha, na hapa tumekuja shuleni tumeomba, tumeabudu Mungu," Nancy Muthoni Maina, a parent, said.

The government has provided 200 blankets, 200 mattresses, foodstuff, utensils, among other necessities ahead of the opening.

"The boys lost their personal items, and so the government has provided them with Ksh.21,000 and other assistance to help them buy personal belongings for their children," said Agnes Shadrack, the Deputy County Commissioner, Kieni West.

"Hatuna hofu yeyote, tunashukuru shule imepakwa rangi mpya, sasa tumekuja pahali papya. Kwa hivyo hiyo ilikuwa tu accident kama zile nyingine," Debora Wacika, another parent, added.