Fire razes students property on eve of opening day as parents suspect foul play

A student at Chulaimbo Boys in Kisumu county salvages his belongings on arrival for the opening day on January 04,2017 after the store where sixty student kept their belongings was torched by unknown people. No student was in the school during the incident. (Photo: Denish Ochieng/Standard)

Parents of Chulaimbo Secondary School in Kisumu have demanded investigations into a fire that razed over Sh1.9 million worth of students' property.

The Tuesday night fire razed a classroom where students had stored their belongings as they went for the December holidays.

According to reports by County Commissioner Maalim Mohammed, the fire started at around 7.30pm.

About 60 Form Two students were affected, with each of them losing boxes, mattresses, bedding, chairs and lockers.

"As at now, the police are trying to piece together information, which can help us get to the bottom of the matter. Nobody was injured in the incident as there were no students in school," said Mr Maalim.

According to parents, a similar fire burnt students' belongings last year, and the school management is yet to explain what caused it.

Yesterday, parents thronged the school and demanded an explanation from the school management given that the incident happened when the students were away.

"We suspect foul play in this incident and we are demanding a proper explanation. If mattresses were stored in this room, yet there are no traces of burnt matresses, it may mean somebody must have removed whatever he or she needed from the house before setting it ablaze," said Maurice Achok, a parent at the school.

"It is also unfortunate that all the boxes, which were kept in the adjacent room, have all been opened and some books and other vital belongings are missing," added another parent, Rashid Chirimba.

The parents said they were forced to buy new books and other learning material after the previous fire incident, as the school only provided mattresses.

Principal Hezron Oyolla declined to comment on the matter, saying he was on transfer.