Learning was disrupted at Kisumu Boys High School on Tuesday morning after a school dormitory was burnt down. The incident took place just a few weeks after the students reopened school in January. It added on to a growing list of over 10 schools across the country that have now reported cases of a school fire in the past three weeks alone. The government has therefore been forced to act swiftly to curb the worrying trend spreading across the country. After thorough investigations into the cause of the fire, five students have now been arrested in relation to the incident for suspected arson.
The 5 students are currently under custody at the Kisumu Central Police Station where they are expected to record statements that will aid authorities to further investigate the incident. This is not the first time that a suspected student initiated fire is being reported at Kisumu Boys High School. The Kisumu Central Deputy County Commissioner, John Cheruiyot and the County Director of Education Isaac Atebe came out strongly to reiterate that they will be beefing up security in all schools across the county to deal with the increasing cases of indiscipline.
“All students and head teachers have been instructed to stay in schools overnight to forestall similar fire incidents,” directed Mr Atebe. ‘We also asked them to restrict number of visitors coming into the learning institutions and do proper screening of those allowed entry in strict compliance to the ministry of health protocols against covid-19. This will also minimize chances of illicit materials being smuggled into the school,” he concluded.
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This comes just days after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations sent out a stern warning to those students who were involving themselves in criminal activities like arson, violence and destruction of property. The DCI reminded students of the legal consequences that they would have to face even if they are still young for such criminal activities. The five Kisumu Boys High School students being an example of the tragedies that can befall a student for getting involved in such activities.
As the Insyder brand, we make a stand against this and urge students in schools to stay disciplined. We encourage students to seek counselling from teachers.
