Residents of Endarasha village and school workers tried desperately to put out a fire at Hillside Academy in Nyeri County but their efforts were in vain, an inquest heard on Thursday
They recounted how they also unsuccessfully attempted to rescue the boys trapped inside the burning dormitory.
The witnesses appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate Mary Gituma in a tense courtroom where some parents of the deceased sat pensively, hoping the proceedings would shed light on the incident that claimed their children.
Last month, the parents opposed the government’s decision to conduct an inquest, arguing that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) report that prompted the move should first be made public.
Parents display portraits of some of the 21 boys who died in the Hillside Endarasha Academy fire of September 5, 2024, as the public inquest into the tragedy begins at the Nyeri Law Courts on November 20, 2025.
Photo credit: Joseph Kanyi| Nation Media Group
They said they had remained in the dark about the investigation until civil society groups intervened to help them pursue justice.
The families are represented by advocate Raphael Olieti, while lawyer Katwa Kigen appears for the school management and director David Kinyua of Hillside Academy.
School matron Beatrice Nduta—who had worked at the institution for only four months before the tragedy—told the court that there were 282 pupils in school that night, 160 of them girls.
After evening preps, she ensured the girls were in bed and retired to her room in the girls’ dormitory. Moments later, she was startled awake by screams and a knock on her door.
“I was sleeping when a girl knocked and told me the boys’ dormitory, which is about 30 metres away and separated by a fence, was on fire,” Ms Nduta said.
She immediately mobilised the girls and ensured they were safely evacuated before rushing to join workers and villagers who had streamed into the compound. Some tried to put out the fire using water drawn from a nearby tank, while others attempted to rescue the boys.
“Some boys had fainted. I remember one was brought out, choking on smoke. We used blankets to fan air to him but he did not respond. I had to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and that is how he survived,” she said.
Pictures of the 21 children who died in the dormitory fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy.
Photo credit: Pool
Asked by Mr Kigen how the incident had affected her, Ms Nduta said: “The events are still fresh in my mind and they torment me. I get mentally troubled when I recall them. To the families who lost their loved ones, I always pray that God gives them strength. The past year has been difficult for all of us.”
Security guard James Maina testified that he had just completed his routine patrol when he heard shouts of “fire!” from the boys’ dormitory.
He said the patron who normally spent nights with the boys had been absent that day after being involved in a motorcycle accident the previous day.
“It was around 10.30pm when the incident occurred. I blew my whistle continuously to raise the alarm, and people started streaming in from all directions, including villagers,” Mr Maina said.
He told the court that the dormitory had three doors, two of which were always left unlocked at night, though the boys sometimes closed them to keep out mosquitoes.
“The fire started near one of the doors, not inside the dormitory. I did not know the cause. When the fire broke out, we tried to save the boys by directing them to safety while others escaped through the windows,” he said.
The inquest was adjourned to next year with Magistrate Gituma setting the next hearing date for February 5, 2026.
