Fire guts dormitory at Tarakwa High School in Bomet

The fire incident at Tarakwa High School in Bomet County destroyed a dormitory that housed 22 students and their personal belongings. [Courtesy]

The troubling pattern of school dormitory fires across Kenya continues with the latest incident happening at Tarakwa High School in Bomet County.

The County Director of Education, Leonard Ngugi, said that the cause of the fire is still unknown, but investigations are ongoing.

Ngugi noted that the inferno destroyed a wooden structure that housed 22 students, personal belongings, including books and bedding.

He said that police officers were already recording statements at the school in connection with the incident.

Ngugi promised to release a more detailed report once his team, shares their initial findings on the incident.

He said that it is too early to make any assumptions about the incident.

No students were injured in the dawn inferno.

Ngugi warned against spreading false claims that could interfere with police investigations.

According to a teacher, who witnessed the event and wished to remain anonymous, the fire started around 05:20 hours on Tuesday morning.

"I noticed smoke coming out of the dorm and raised the alarm, contacting county firefighters who arrived quickly. Attempts to salvage the students' property were futile as the fire had already spread, but we thank God there were no casualties," he said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has ordered a fresh nationwide inspection of all boarding schools following the deadly dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil.

The inspections come in the wake of the tragedy, which has intensified scrutiny of boarding school environments across the country.

The fire claimed the lives of 16 learners and left the country grappling with renewed questions over student safety and school preparedness.

In the directive announced during an education engagement in Wajir County, Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said education officials have been directed to conduct comprehensive inspections across all boarding schools within the next 10 days, beginning today.

According to the PS, the exercise is intended to establish whether institutions are complying with safety regulations designed to protect learners and identify gaps that could expose students to danger.

“We have directed our officers to do very thorough inspections in the next 10 days at all boarding schools to confirm afresh whether they are meeting the safety standards and give recommendations,” Bitok said.

The Ministry says the objective is not only compliance but rebuilding confidence among parents and ensuring schools remain safe places for learning.

Under existing guidelines, dormitories must maintain adequate spacing between beds, have wide outward-opening doors, clearly marked emergency exits, and functional firefighting equipment.

Windows should also remain accessible and free from barriers that could delay evacuation.