Parents Association warns of growing danger as school fires expose safety failures

School fires and weak enforcement of safety standards are continuing to put learners at risk across Kenya, the National Parents Association has warned, as pressure mounts on authorities to tighten school safety systems and improve emergency preparedness in learning institutions.

Speaking during a Radio Generation interview on Friday, National Parents Association Secretary General for Kiambu and the Central Region Maina Gaithuru said the repeated fire incidents being reported in boarding schools reveal deeper failures in governance, infrastructure safety, supervision, and mental health support systems.

Gaithuru linked recent incidents, including a fire reported in Murang’a County and other past school fire tragedies across the country, to what he described as poor implementation of existing education safety guidelines.

He called for reflection following the recurring tragedies affecting learners and families, saying many schools are still failing to fully comply with safety requirements despite years of similar incidents.

The parents’ association official said weak enforcement of school safety manuals, poor emergency preparedness, and limited oversight continue to expose learners to danger.

“Schools are still building buildings without observing the manual; the safety manual indicates that we are supposed to have fire exits, and they are supposed to be open all the time for the children.”

Gaithuru noted that Kenya has witnessed several deadly school fires over the years, especially in boarding schools, with cases previously reported in Nyeri and other regions.

He said although investigations are often launched after such incidents, many of the recommendations are rarely implemented fully, allowing similar tragedies to continue recurring.

His remarks come as Kenya continues to grapple with a history of deadly school fires dating back to the early 1990s.

Among the major tragedies was the 2001 Kyanguli Secondary School fire in Machakos County that killed 67 students, the 2017 Moi Girls School Nairobi fire that claimed 10 lives, and the 2024 Hillside Endarasha Academy fire in Nyeri County where 21 learners died.

Recent incidents include the Gacharage Secondary School fire in Murang’a County and the 2026 Utumishi Academy fire in Nakuru County that killed 16 students and injured more than 70 others.

President William Ruto has previously described the incidents as devastating and ordered investigations and periods of national mourning in some of the cases.

Education CS Julius Ogamba and Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen have also called for calm, comprehensive investigations, and stricter enforcement of fire safety standards in schools.

The government has since intensified inspections, safety audits, emergency drills, and reviews of boarding school regulations in an effort to curb recurring fire disasters.

Gaithuru, however, said school management structures, including Parents Associations and Boards of Management, must also take greater responsibility in ensuring schools remain safe for learners.

He questioned whether schools regularly conduct emergency drills, saying many institutions appear poorly prepared to respond during disasters.

“Do schools actually do that? I never remember even one time when we did a fire drill, those mechanisms are supposed to be put in place.”

He further warned that overcrowding in schools, weak inspection systems, and limited enforcement capacity have contributed to declining safety standards in some institutions.

“If you have 80 students in a class, half the time you will not know what on earth the students are doing.”

Gaithuru also raised concern over growing social challenges affecting learners, including substance abuse and mental health struggles, saying such issues are increasingly becoming common within school environments.

The parents’ association official called for stronger government action to improve learner protection, including tougher enforcement of building standards, better security measures, and closer coordination between parents, school boards, and education authorities.

“The government is supposed to make sure that there’s some protection of the children and also, we should also see a serious parliament that starts enacting a law on how our children should be protected,” he highlighted.