Buruburu Girls School closed after dorm fire

Buruburu Girls High School in Nairobi has been closed indefinitely.

The closure follows a school fire that broke out in one of the dorms on Sunday evening.

The school’s Board of Management made the decision after a meeting with some parents on Monday.

The Board chairman, Mr Chairman Lazarus Opicho, said the school will allow students to go home for a few days as investigations into the fire commence.

“Parents will be allowed to go home with the girls and the date when they are supposed to come back will be communicated. Any girl who will be found to be involved in the fire incident will face the law,” he said.

For those whose parents will not make it, they will remain in school under tight security.

As at Monday morning, 59 students were receiving treatment at Metropolitan Hospital, the facility said.

The learners are being treated for smoke inhalation. 

According to a statement from the hospital, thirty others who were treated have been discharged.

The fire is reported to have nearly reduced one of the 45 cubicles that houses students from different classes to ashes.

According to the school's management, the fire started at a cubicle in Kingdom dormitory with reports that there were prior warnings from unnamed students that they will torch the school.

Buruburu sub-county police boss, Mr Francis Kamau, confirmed that the fire started around 5pm and was later contained.

"We are yet to establish the cause of the fire but we have commenced investigations into the incident," he said.

Soon after the fire broke out, several parents arrived at the school and demanded to be allowed to take their children home, leading to a standoff.

Videos of the Kingdom Dormitory which was on fire were shared online. They showed several students in uniform jumping out of the burning building.

The school's Principal Caroline Maina did not address parents in the meeting after they previously accused her of downplaying the incident.

One parent who spoke to Nation.Africa said she rushed to the school but was yet to get the details on what transpired.

“All we want is to see our children and make sure they are not injured. Why are they locking us out yet there has been an incident?” she wondered.

Another parent said she learnt of the incident from a viral video clip on social media.