By LINAH BENYAWA
She was deep asleep when the fire broke out in their dormitory, but her best friend saved her.
Ms Neema Bakari, 32, was about to sit her final examinations when the incident occurred.
"On the fateful night, I was asleep when my friend woke me up telling me the dormitory was on fire. I jumped from my bed and ran to the door," says Bakari.
She adds heavy smoke in the dormitory and a scramble at the door as students made frantic efforts to get out of the room made her to faint.
"As I ran to the main door, which was very small and everyone was struggling to get out, the heavy smoke choked most of the girls who fainted at the door step," recalls Bakari.
A piece of burning mosquito net also fell on her hand during the struggle to leave the dormitory.
Died in stampede
Bakari says many girls could have died in a stamped after some fell during the struggle, but students and locals came to their rescue. However, she lost her two best friends in the blaze that killed 26 girls.
"After passing out, I found myself outside the dormitory but I don’t know exactly how I got there. I saw boys from a neighbouring school and residents rescue our colleagues, some put off the fire, while others ferried us to the bus termini where they took those who were injured to the Coast Provincial Hospital," she narrates.
At that moment, Bakari didn’t realise that she had burns on her left hand until she saw the injury at the hospital.
She also experienced difficulties in breathing since she had inhaled the smoke.
But that was just the beginning of her nightmares. Bakari recollects how the whole incident affected her health and social life.
"After the incident, my life was never to be the same again, I lost my two best friends from the fire and this traumatised me to an extent of hallucinating," says Bakari as she breaks into tears.
Almost insane
She says she almost went insane but the support of her family members gave her strength. She could often cry a lot and became reclusive.
"I was on the verge of committing suicide. But I want to appreciate my family for always being close and giving me support," she explains.
Bakari almost missed her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education following the traumatic events at her former school.
"I wanted to quit school, I had been recalled to Mama Ngina Girls Secondary School but I refused until two weeks to the examinations. However, I went to Star of the Sea Secondary School from where I sat my final exams," she reminisces.
Despite the tragedy, she says she won’t bar her children from schooling in a boarding school.
"I reside in Ukunda and married with two children but what happened to me 12 years ago will not hinder me from allowing my children to school in a boarding school, it was unfortunate it happened, but life has to move on," says Bakari.