Three students from Kagumo High School are in custody for allegedly plotting to burn a dormitory at the school.
According to police in Nyeri, the three students were in possession of flammable liquids and a matchbox during their arrests on Sunday, November 7, 2021.
School Principal Silas Mwirigi reported the incident on Sunday after one of the security guards at the school, Peter Wangungu notified him of suspicious movements from one of the dormitories during school prep time.
Wangungu rushed to the dormitory and found the three boys who froze upon seeing him.
He then frisked them and found half-litre bottles of kerosene and turpentine and a matchbox.
The three were detained until the area police arrived and established that the three students, one form four and two form threes, were intending to torch the dormitory.
The incident happened coincidentally on the same night a 500 student capacity dormitory was razed down by fire at the Maranda High School.
Six students have since been arrested in connection with the fire incident.
According to Siaya County Director of Education Nelson Sifuna, the six were captured moving around during the initial stages of the fire.
"After scrutinizing CCTV footage, there were six students seen moving around the dormitory, the six of them have been picked as suspects and handed over to security agencies for further interrogations," Sifuna told Citizen Digital.
Explaining the decision to close the school, Maranda management noted that the move was meant to allowthe school set up a temporary structure that will help the affected students.
"The management has sent students home so that they can work in a conducive environment to put up a temporary hostel and to ensure calmness in school,: the school management said.
Additionally, Sifuna stated that the dormitory was partitioned into four wings, and only the first wing was affected by the fire.
The first wing accommodated close to 200 students. However, there has been no reported incident of injuries on the students.
