Parents appeal to state to rebuild burnt Kambaa Girls dormitory

Parents of students at Kambaa Girls High School in Lari constituency have asked the government to help them rebuild a dormitory destroyed by fire on Sunday.

The parents say they used all their money to pay school fees last week and cannot put together funds to finance the construction.

Their appeal comes after the board of management and Ministry of Education closed the institution on Monday, saying it could not continue hosting all students.

BOM chairman Mukua Ngatia told the parents who had gathered at the school to go home with their daughters so that they can give them room to repair it.

Ngatia said the institution will also give police time and space to investigate and establish the real cause of the fire.

“We thank the parents for coming today since we do not release our girls after 1pm. Today, we shall do that since you are here.

"You will be cleared by management and walk home with your daughter until we communicate to you when to bring her back,” he said.

Ngatia was accompanied by board members, Ministry of Education officials, teachers, Lari deputy county commissioner Agnes Karoki and Kiambu county parents association chairman Samuel Wanjema.

The fire which started on the first floor of the three-storey dormitory destroyed the property of 204 students.

The dormitory hosts 400 of the 700 students.

Karoki thanked the public for assisting the school to put out the fire.

She asked parents to speak openly with their daughters at home, to see if they will disclose anything regarding the cause of the fire.

Subcounty police commander Stephen Kirui said no student was injured since all were studying in their classes.

Parent Michael Waweru appealed to President Uhuru Kenyatta and Education CS George Magoha to support the school because they are broke.

“We would not want to hear the school asking us to contribute any more money since we had paid fees last week. This is the time the government should come in and support parents efforts,” Waweru said.

He added that some parents have other children in other schools.

“I had paid this term's school fees for my Form 3 daughter and for my son who joined Form 1 in another school. I had even borrowed some money to top up the fees,” he said.

Stephen Mburu said the government should move fast and add more dormitories to achieve its 100 per cent transition since a lot of boarding secondary schools are overpopulated.

“The government should assist parents by adding more facilities,” Mburu said.

(Edited by Bilha Makokha)