TWO STUDENTS PROSECUTED OVER BURUBURU GIRLS FIRE INCIDENT

Two students from Buruburu Girls High School are set to be arraigned on Monday over the fire incident at the school that occurred last week, leading to admission of 59 students in hospital.

The two are accused of planning and burning one of the cubicles on October 31 before escaping and leaving their colleagues behind.

Sources indicate that investigations led to the two, who were allegedly heard planning to burn one of the cubicles and who were later seen leaving the scene before fire erupted.

In the incident, amateur videos captured students jumping from as a high as the third floor to escape the inferno.

Meanwhile, Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has warned that all students involved in school arson attacks will face the law.

“That information is going to be on your record for the rest of your life and the law does not allow you even if you’re 10 years to buy petrol and burn public property,” warned Magoha.

The Form Four and Three students are expected back in school on Monday while their colleagues in Form One and Two are expected back on Tuesday.

A meeting between the Board of Management and the Parents and Teachers Association last Thursday came up with a number of resolutions which include the installation of CCTV cameras in the school, emergency exit doors open directly to the outside to be functional and checked regularly, floodlights to be installed to enhance security and safety, and removal of all cubicle doors to ease movement in case of emergencies.

A number of parents at the school have lamented the decision reached by the school management to have all students pay 1,500 shillings for damages incurred during the inferno.

In text messages seen by Citizen Digital, the parents are questioning how the figured was arrived at while investigations are still on-going.

They argue that the damages incurred should not be shouldered by all parents.

The burden of rebuilding schools has been placed on parents after the government announced last week that it will not help in reconstructing dormitories destroyed by school fires.