- The families of 21 boys killed in a fire accident at Hillside Endarasha Academy school gathered in Nyeri a year later, still need answers
- Parents said they had never received the results of a corpse or DNA confirmation, leaving some people to be uncertain if they buried their own sons
- Government officials have proposed a public investigation, but mourning families rejected the move, referring to it as a way to delay
- The personal reminder had painful memories, parents and relatives saying imprisonment was still impossible without accountability
Nyeri – One year after a fierce fire at Hillside Endarasha school costing the lives of 21 boys, sadness and frustration continue to focus on the abandoned families.
Source: Getty Images
The tragedy occurred on the night of September 5, 2024, when the school boarding was set on fire and resulted in the deaths of 21 students and several others seriously injured.
In the following months, the government conducted an investigation, collected DNA samples, and interviewed parents, teachers, and local community.
But a year later, the families say they are hidden in the results and their way of getting justice and possibly closed.
How did the victims of Hillside Endarasha celebrate one year?
13 families were gathered in the Nyeri Catholic conference hall to celebrate the first year of the tragedy.
In that reminder, parents and siblings did The procession To light candles, carrying pictures of boys whose promising lives were reduced.
For families, healing and imprisonment remain impossible without being responsible for the events that took their children.
Unlike the memory of the previous year, which attracted government officials and hundreds of mourners, this year’s worship was a private and quiet event.
The situation was heavy with unbearable injuries as parents, relatives, and justice advocates shared in painful prayers and memories.
Victor Kiragu, the late father Immanuel Gachoroho, spoke of unbridled pain, revealing that his life ended when his son’s post was brought down from the grave.
“When I clicked the gear button to descend and I saw what was intended that my son was coming down, then I died. So even when you come to me, you follow the dead person. I have thought of harming myself often,” He said.
For Valentine Maina, who lost her brother Vincent Munene, sadness is more widespread than the parents, opening up the brotherhood they participated in.
“Just ask the government, to seek justice to these children. It hurts us, not only to parents but to us brothers; He said.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICD2D77AZ4K
Why do Hillside Endarasha victims oppose public investigation
Despite the preview from the Minister of the Interior Kipchumba Murkomen That the Director of Public Prosecutions proposed a public investigation, parents strongly opposed.
Many of the parents shared their dissatisfaction with the investigation, saying it was a way to delay justice.
“So it means this public investigation is a future thought. Maybe there is something they are trying to hide. So we oppose it. We need that final report, then from there we look at the shortcomings. Said Silas the late Victor Chege.
The families also accused the authorities of abandoning them immediately after the funeral, revealing that they had never received the results of the death investigation, DNA confirmation, or an official report explaining the source of the fire.
Source: Getty Images
Some parents admitted that they still did not know if they buried the remains of their sons or not.
Another parent, Paul Gathogo, who lost his son Timothy Weru, questioned the government’s loyalty throughout the process.
“You can’t tell me they are handing over DNA illustrations, they are the people who came there, you know they surrounded the area, you know they did interviews with many of us and even the community and even the school, and they still come back and tell us they want to do public investigations. Why?” He asked.
Does Hillside Endarasha still work?
As previously reported, Hillside Endarasha was reopened as a day after a bad boarding fire that killed 21 boys.
The boarding section is completely closed, the old dormitory is closed, and the school is renewed to mark its change.
The Ministry of Education approved the school to resume its activities, assuring parents about safety and quality.
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