Kijabe Boys High School in Lari, Kiambu county, has been closed early this term after one of the dormitories was gutted by fire on Sunday.
The school board of management ordered the institution closed on Tuesday, marking the end of their first term as other secondary schools are set to start closing on Thursday.
Lari subcounty deputy police commander Charles Opondo said a dormitory shared by 40 students who are in Form 2 and 3 was destroyed by the fire.
Opondo said students' personal property including blankets, mattresses, shoes, books and uniforms were destroyed.
The police boss said they have launched investigations to establish what caused the fire.
“Our DCI officers are investigating. The dormitory was visited by scenes of crime officers who took samples of the ash, footage from the CCTV camera and other samples so that they can establish the real cause,” he said.
Police officers led by Kijabe OCS Samuel Sugut have been camping at the school since Sunday night even as reports emerged claiming that the 40 students were forced to share beds with others while others slept in the classrooms.
A source from the school also alleges that there have been bullying incidents between Form 2 and Form 3 students.
Efforts to get a comment from the school over the bullying were futile, as the management said they could not speak as the matter is under investigations.
Lari MP Jonah Mburu asked parents to keep counselling their children when they come home for holiday to avert cases of indiscipline saying parents end up suffering as they have to pay for damages caused to schools by their children.
He also urged parents to counsel students before taking them to high school over bullying, control of anger, and friendships they make.
“A parent is an important pillar at school. Let us counsel our children adequately so that we do not have to pay for damaged school property every term,” the MP said.
“Please do not leave parenting to teachers, let us be engaged in our children's lives. Talking to them will help raise responsible citizens, we do not want to hear of cases of arson in schools.
"Let all us advise them accordingly, at home, at school, in churches since we need responsible men and women in our society.”
-Edited by SKanyara
