Insecurity fears in schools as 11 dormitories set on fire in Bungoma

Mr Luka Shiroya, teacher, showing a fire extinguisher at Malava Secondary School. The institution has met most of the required security standards. PHOTO: CHRISPEN SECHERE/STANDARD

BUNGOMA: A wave of student unrest has seen 11 dormitories razed in Bungoma County in the past six months.

Many students have lost property in the infernos, with school authorities pointing figures at indiscipline, incitement and poor relations between the students and their parents and teachers.

The county's Director of Special Programmes, Julius Bakasa, says majority of the fires are as a result of student unrest or electric faults.

Speaking last week at Khasoko Boys Secondary School in Bumula constituency after an inferno razed one dormitory, Mr Bakasa said it had proved expensive for the county to handle fire cases because there are no funds set aside to deal with such disasters.

"We are facing a lot of difficulties in handling such disasters because they happen abruptly when we are broke as a department and this has put us in a precarious situation because we are still receiving other cases, which need immediate attention. If the county government allocates us enough money, we will be able to handle these problems easily," he said.

Some of the learning institutions that have been affected by the raging fires in the county include Chesamisi Boys, Khasoko Boys, St. Mary's Kibabii Boys, Kimaeti Boys, Sang'alo Institute of Science and Technology, Mabanga Girls, Chebosi Secondary School, Mitua Girls, Kimugui Boys and Sikusi Secondary School.

According to the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association Bungoma Chairman, Richard Sabwami, some students were incited by the community to cause chaos, hence ended up burning the institutions.

"In the case of Sikusi High School, the community made students become unruly due to lack of water at the institution, after which they burnt the school dormitory," he said.

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers Bungoma County Chairman Denson Barasa, said indiscipline cases have led students to cause chaos. "This trend should be stopped by re-introducing corporal punishment. Nowadays, students are very rude and have been supported by parents who pamper them by calling for the prosecution of teachers who go against the directive by caning students," he said.

Joseph Wafula, a parent from Lumboka village in Bumula, and whose son's personal items were reduced to ashes, says the fires can lead to deaths if precautionary measures are not put in place.

"We are worried that if not checked, these incidences will lead to deaths. Majority of schools are being burned at unpredictable hours and this is dangerous to our children," he said.

Bungoma Deputy Governor Hillary Chongwony, called on school principals and boards of management to construct dormitories in such a way that it would make it possible to rescue students and their personal items. "Majority of the dormitories are built in a prison style, which makes it difficult for students to run to safety when fire breaks out. Those designing dormitories should consider safety and precautionary measures to save our students," he said.