Fire guts down dormitory in Chewoyet School destroying property

Property of unknown value was destroyed after a Wednesday morning fire gutted down one of the dormitories at the Chewoyet Boys School, in Kapenguria, West Pokot County.

The dormitory, one of the newest in the school was reduced into ashes and nothing was salvaged in the 5.00 am fire.

Speaking to the parents, the School Principal Joseph Korir said the cause of fire has not yet been established and police officers are investigating the incident.

He added that the fire brigade responded and managed to contain the fire but it was too late to salvage the students’ property.

He assured parents that all students were safe because the fire started when they were in classes for morning studies.

The Parents Teacher's Association (PTA) chairman Mr Tingaa Phillip also told parents that the security team and the school executive will meet and deliberate on the way forward.

"We have not been able to establish the cause of fire but the security team is conducting investigations to establish the real cause of arson,” said Mr.Tingaa

He confirmed that no one was injured but the affected students and the board of management are expected to have a meeting concerning the fire break out and decide whether the students will be sent home or not.

"The dormitory and property worth millions of shillings were destroyed. Boxes, uniforms, bedding, beds and books were reduced to ashes" he said

However, the angry parents who were at the school demanded an explanation from the school principal on why the school has been experiencing frequent fires.

One of the parents Mansour Mohammed said that they are tired of their students being sent home to buy bedding every year after fire gutting the dormitories.

"This is the fourth time within three years the dormitory is being razed, we won’t leave this school until we get a solution. We are tired of paying extra money to cater for the damages caused by fires," he said.

Another parent, Easther Chepurayi lamented that their student s should not be sent home because they are not ready to cater for the damages.

The Kapenguria Member of County assembly Maddy Plakou noted that parents are struggling to pay school fees for their children and yet the school has never come out with a long term solution to combat school fires.

"The CCTVs were rolling, they should show us who caused the fire and at what time," he said.

Chewoyet national school has experienced four dormitory fires since 2016.