President William Ruto has ordered a thorough investigation following a fire incident at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri, where 17 pupils have been confirmed dead.
In a statement on Friday, September 6, the Head of State maintained that anyone responsible for the incident will be held into account.
The president further condoled with the families of the pupils who lost their lives and wished a speedy recovery to those who sustained injuries.
"Our thoughts are with the families of the children who have lost their lives in the fire tragedy at the Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County. This is devastating news.
"We pray for speedy recovery to the survivors. I instruct relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate this horrific incident. Those responsible will be held to account," Ruto remarked.
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He added that the government, through the Ministry of Interior, is mobilising all the necessary resources to support the affected families.
Confirming the Thursday night incident, National Police Service Spokesperson Resila Onyango said that the cause of the fire has not been determined.
14 pupils sustained serious burns in the tragedy and were rushed to the hospital.
A team of police officers led by Deputy Director DCI John Onyango has been deployed to the school to investigate the cause of the incident.
The Kenya Red Cross has disclosed that it has deployed an emergency response team to the scene, which is currently cordoned off by police.
The humanitarian organisation also stated that it is providing psychosocial support services to the pupils, teachers, and affected families, and has set up a tracing desk at the school.
