Parents who have been waiting for five days to know the fate of their children are in agony as the painstaking DNA analysis on casualties of the Hillside Endarasha school fire begins.
Authorities have confirmed 21 children died in the fire on the night of September 5, with the revelation yesterday that the ill-fated dormitory had 164 pupils, and not 156 initially reported.
On Monday, the parents turned up at Naromoru hospital mortuary to seek answers as to whether their children are among the dead or not through a DNA analysis process that is likely to take a couple of days.
On Tuesday, the forensic team is expected to begin sorting out the bodies ahead of the postmortem exercise on Wednesday.
Robinson Theuri, 11, Grade 6.
Photo credit: Pool
Joyce Wambui is clinging to hope that her 12-year-old grandson- a tiktoker known as Success Wanjau, is still alive.
As she sits outside the Naromoru hospital morgue waiting for her daughter-in law who has gone to give her DNA samples, she mumbles a prayer clearly ignoring her surroundings.
She was among the dozens of families who are visiting the morgue to submit their DNA samples for analysis.
Success King'ori, 12, Grade 8
Photo credit: Pool
Despite being told by the first responders of the fire that her grade eight son did not leave the dormitory alive, Joyce believes that her kin is among the pupils who managed to escape the fire.
“I was there when parents were rushing to collect their children from the school that night, my home is not very far from the school,” she says.
She adds she was woken by screams of some congregants of the Full Gospel Church who were in a night worship.
“I helped put out the fire and even spoke to some of the pupils who had been rescued and paraded at the school’s assembly point,” she says, adding that most of the pupils she spoke to told her that Success left the dormitory alive.
Earnest Ngaruiya Mwangi, 11.
Photo credit: Pool
“Friends who saw him told me that he fainted on reaching at the door but was luckily carried by one of the rescuers to a waiting car outside the dormitory,” she explains.
Her search in hospitals where the survivors were taken began. Joyce says that she has visited the Mathari Mission Hospital, Nyeri County Referral Hospital and the Mwai Kibaki KNH Annex a countless number of times, but no one has seen her grandson.
“Something in me tells me that he is still alive, I have chosen to believe his friends over the school and community responders because his friends knew him better, they couldn’t have mistaken his face,” she says.
Ferdinand Karuku Wachira.
Photo credit: Pool
Joyce says that her grandson- a bubbly, extroverted child, was a celebrity in the school because of his acting prowess, thus, there was no way his friends could have mistaken him.
“I have been told that only two relatives per child are allowed inside the morgue, that is why I am seated outside here so that I can at least support my kin once they are done with the DNA analysis,” she explains.
John Mwangi, who believes his son could be among those burnt beyond recognition, was among 19 parents at the morgue for DNA sampling.
Mwangi says he had decided to accompany his wife to give her support as the forensic officers swabbed DNA from her.
“I was told that my boy was not among the fatalities or those who were admitted, meaning that he might be among the 19 whose bodies cannot be recognised. But we have to wait to confirm this from the DNA analysis,” he says.
Mr Mwangi discloses he has not talked to the school management since the fire nor did he hold any anger towards them.
“I can’t imagine what the school owner is going through, he must be more affected considering that he has lost his pupils and an investment, “ he says.
Mr Mwangi reveals that the parents have been allowed to hire private pathologists, who will work together with the government pathologists.
Benard Warutere,12, Grade 6.
Photo credit: Pool
However, Nyeri county commissioner and acting Regional Commissioner Pius Murugu said all the 164 boys who were at the dormitory had been accounted for.
Addressing the media outside the Naromoru Level 4 Hospital, he said that the National Disaster Committee sat yesterday for the first time and consolidated the data of all the boys who were in the dormitory.
“We were able to call all the parents and find the whereabouts of all the boys who were in the dormitory and we have since established that the total numbers of boys sleeping that night were 164,” he explained.
Out of the number, he said that 140 parents have confirmed with the Kenya Red Cross that they have their children at home.
Mr Murugu said that two children who died in the fire had been identified while 19 bodies were burnt beyond recognition.
He said that the Disaster Committee, in which he co-chairs with Governor Mutahi Kahiga, has already started working on how the school and the community will be restored.
“We are planning how the school will resume after the DCI is done with its investigations, since we understand that the compound is currently out of bounds,” he said.
He added that the government will cater for all expenses incurred by the parents as a result of the fire.
The National Head of Strategic Intervention For Children in Emergencies Philip Nzenge said that statistics by the command centre set-up at the Hillside Endarasha Academy, show that the number of unaccounted children has dropped.
“We are waiting for the Kenya Red Cross to finish consolidating their data and give us a complete list. Although, what I can attest to is that on Sunday (yesterday), four parents who had collected their children on Thursday night without informing the school informed us that their boys are safe with them,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Kahiga assured the affected families that his administration would support them until they go through the journey of laying their loved ones to rest.
“We have already identified parents who will be the link between you and the government agencies. We assure you that we will walk with you all the way,” he said.
The governor told those posting unconfirmed reports to stop, saying posts were causing more anguish to the affected families.
“Before making that post pose and consider the suffering these parents and families are going though. It’s a tragedy that would never be wished on anyone and you should desist,” he said.
