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Silent grief in courtroom as experts detail deaths of 21 boys in Endarasha fire
Pictures of the 21 children who died in the dormitory fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy.
A sombre mood gripped a Nyeri courtroom on Thursday as chilling details emerged of how 21 boys perished in the Hillside Academy dormitory fire on September 5, 2024 — a tragedy that shook the nation.
Parents sat in silent grief as pathologists and forensic experts presented harrowing evidence of the manner in which their children died.
Dr Grace Atieno, the pathologist who conducted the postmortems, detailed how the victims suffered burns covering 74 to 100 per cent of their bodies while inhaling lethal levels of carbon monoxide. Some children had parts of their brains destroyed, while others’ organs — including lungs, liver, and kidneys — were severely charred.
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.
“The general cause of death was extensive surface burns of 100 per cent and 10 per cent inhalation. Samples were also taken for toxicological and DNA examination,” Dr. Atieno testified.
She appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate Mary Gituma in a tense courtroom, as parents listened intently, hoping for answers to the tragedy that claimed their loved ones.
Dennis Owino, an analyst at the Government Chemist, presented findings from debris samples collected from the burnt dormitory. His analysis revealed that “no volatile organic or petroleum-based accelerants were detected in the samples submitted.” When questioned by Raphael Olieti, the parents’ lawyer, about whether other factors were considered, Mr. Owino explained:
“There are other accelerants like explosives. But since there was no debris at the scene, such as broken metal that would indicate their presence, we ruled them out as the cause of the fire.”
Mr Owino also presented toxicological results prepared by his colleague, James Michael Welimo, confirming that blood, liver, and stomach samples from all victims showed no chemical toxins.
Parents at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Kieni, Nyeri County, in September 2024 following a fire tragedy that claimed the lives of 21 learners.
David Karani, an activist who pushed for the inquest, said the proceedings were a crucial step toward closure for the families.
“For the parents, hearing the details of how the fire started and its effects is the beginning of the healing process. They can finally get some answers to the many questions that have haunted them,” he said.
Magistrate Gituma scheduled the next hearings for April 27 and 28, 2026.
