Nyeri — Parents who lost their sons in the Endarasha fire tragedy, together with human rights groups, have filed two petitions in the Nyeri High Court seeking compensation and justice — one year after the incident.
The petitions, lodged by the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), the Elimu Bora Working Group, and a section of the parents, call on the court to compel the government to take action against Ministry of Education officials and the school administration for alleged negligence.
The KHRC has welcomed the Director of Public Prosecutions’ move to initiate a public inquest into the tragedy but insists that bereaved families deserve answers on what transpired on the night of September 5 last year when the inferno claimed the lives of the pupils.
Mary Kambo, a KHRC officer and one of the petitioners, said parents are convinced that negligence was to blame.
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“We are convinced that someone should be held accountable because someone slept on their job. No parent in this country or elsewhere should send their children to school only to receive them in charred form,” she said on Tuesday.
Boaz Waruku, a policy advisor at KHRC, accused the government of failing in its duty to protect children’s rights.
“It is a pity that after such a tragedy, life continues as if nobody cares. We put it at the government’s doorstep — they have the responsibility to protect children’s rights,” Waruku said.
Lawyer Raphael Okubo said the civil claim will seek damages under the Fatal Accidents Act and the Law Reform Act, noting that the case mirrors the 2001 fire tragedy at Kyanguli Secondary School.
“Under the civil claim, we will be seeking damages for the lives lost, similar to the suit that followed the Kyanguli fire in 2001,” Okubo explained.
