Remains of a dormitory destroyed by fire at St Joseph’s Seminary School in Molo, Nakuru County. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]
St Joseph's Seminary School in Molo, Nakuru County, has been closed indefinitely following a fire incident that destroyed two dormitories on Saturday night.
The management of the learning institution, a Catholic boys’ school, announced the closure yesterday after police arrested four students who were captured on CCTV cameras entering the dorms through the window.
According to authorities, the four students are believed to have started the fire that destroyed the two dormitories housing 90 learners.
Remains of a dormitory destroyed by fire at St Joseph’s Seminary School in Molo, Nakuru County. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]
None of the students was injured during the fire that was put out by officers from Mau Summit Police Station, local firefighters and villagers who responded to the distress call.
Police said the fire incident was reported by the director of the institution at around 8 pm on Saturday.
The fire incident caused panic among parents who rushed to the institution to check on their children.
The fire affected two student dormitories — St Peter’s, which has a bed capacity of 35 students, and St Gabriel’s, which accommodates 55 students.
The fire destroyed beddings, school uniforms, books, and students’ personal items whose value could be immediately determined.
At the time of the fire, all students were reportedly gathered in the school hall for a recreation and entertainment session, a circumstance that helped avert injuries and loss of life.
The seminary has a student population of about 125.
The fire incident at the seminary came just days after the fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil that left 16 students dead and 72 others nursing injuries.
The fire incidents have drawn attention to fire safety in school infrastructure.
Education stakeholders have called for urgent audits of boarding infrastructure nationwide.
Questions linger about whether many dormitories meet basic fire safety engineering standards, especially in high-density rural and peri-urban settings.
As investigations continue into the weekend’s fires, the focus is likely to shift toward what building improvements could prevent similar close calls.
