Larry MP wants persistent Kijabe Boys fires probed

Lari Member of Parliament (MP) Mburu Kahangara has petitioned the government to thoroughly investigate the cause of persistence fires which have dogged Kijabe Boys High School in the past past two years.

He says that the former academic giant had been reduced to a laughing stock due to dropping education standards which he attributed to probably indiscipline and a possible disconnect between learners and the school's administration. 

This as four students of the school which is in  Lari constituency were arrested  by Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives investigating the cause of the public school's store.

The students were arrested on Tuesday, January 31, after a fire that destroyed school property worth thousands of shillings was contained before it spread into dormitories. 

Lari DCI boss Eunice Maingi while confirming the unfortunate incident said the school's store and a neighbouring classroom were razed down by the fire.

She added that mattresses, blankets, files, rockers and desks and other school learning items were destroyed in the Tuesday evening fire.

The DCI  said that some of the property belonged to the school while others were for students who have not reported back to school.

4 students arrested over school fire

She said that after embarking on initial investigations, the four students, three of them being Form Threes and another a Form Two were arrested and will help police with investigations. 

"We are investigating the incident. The 4 students are suspects who are helping us to dig more information," she said.

Among those who toured the institution to asses the level of damage were area Deputy County Commissioner Samuel Kariuki, director of education Omari Borura and the police led by Maingi.

Parents who rushed to the school after receiving the sad news urged the school to be more alert on each and every movement of students since the school has witnessed two dormitory fires last year.

A parent Wilson Ndung'u said when such losses happens, parents are asked by school administration to assist them recover some lost items.

"When schools are burnt and property destroyed, parents are charged some amount of money to assist the school resume learning and day to day running activities," Ndung'u said.

He added: "However, if teachers were hard and alert on students movement in a boarding school, such issues would not be seen even situations where parents are found adding more money to the school in the name of repair."

Kiambu County Parents Association chairman  Samuel Wanjema asked  Education CS Ezekiel Machogu to overhaul the teaching fraternity in the school.

Wanjema also asked Machogu to disbanded the current Board of Management and constitute a fresh one so that the school can be manned by a new team. 

Wanjema added: "Students too lose a lot of lessons and at times fail to cover the syllabus which is very unfortunate and both the teaching fraternity and the BOM are aware."

"Parents have been praying for their children wishing them well, but after a short period of time, they are called to collect there children from school owing to an inferno incident," Wachira said.

"We want the new education CS to investigate the school properly and come up with lasting solutions since the fires are slowly destroying its good name," he added.