Hillside Academy fire inquest: Witnesses recount frantic efforts to rescue trapped pupils
Matron Beatrice Nduta, who had worked at the school for four months, told the court there were 282 pupils at the academy that night, including 160 girls.
Chaos and desperation marked the night of September 5 last year at Hillside Academy in Nyeri County, where a fire claimed the lives of 21 boys.
Residents of Endarasha village and school staff rushed to the scene, attempting to control the blaze and rescue pupils, but the flames proved too strong, an inquest heard yesterday.
More To Read
- Heartbroken Endarasha Academy parents left in limbo as fire inquest stalls over missing DCI files
- One year on, parents of Hillside Endarasha fire victims still demand justice
- Endarasha tragedy: DCI reveals eight boys were absent before tragic fire
- 19 Endarasha students still unidentified despite all 330 being accounted for
- Audit exposes govt failures in implementing fire safety measures in schools
- Fire breaks out at Njia Boys Secondary in Meru
Three witnesses, according to The Daily Nation, shared vivid accounts of the tragedy in court, revealing the frantic efforts to save children trapped in the burning dormitory.
The hearing took place before Senior Resident Magistrate Mary Gituma, with grieving parents watching silently, hoping for clarity on the circumstances that led to their loss.
Families had previously opposed the government’s inquest plan, insisting that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) report that triggered the inquiry should first be made public.
They said they had been unaware of the investigation until civil society groups stepped in to assist them in seeking justice.
The families are represented by advocate Raphael Olieti, while Hillside Academy management and director David Kinyua are represented by lawyer Katwa Kigen.
Matron Beatrice Nduta, who had worked at the school for four months, told the court there were 282 pupils at the academy that night, including 160 girls.
After completing evening prep, she ensured the girls were in bed before resting in the girls’ dormitory. She was awoken by a knock and shouts, and a girl informed her that the boys’ dormitory, some 30 metres away and fenced off, was ablaze.
“I was asleep when a girl knocked on my door and told me that the boys’ dormitory, about 30 metres away and separated by a fence, was on fire,” Nduta recounted.
She quickly evacuated the girls before joining villagers and workers attempting to control the flames. Some tried using water from a nearby tank while others focused on rescuing the boys.
“Some of the boys had fainted. I remember one boy being brought out, choking on smoke. We used blankets to fan air towards him, but he did not respond. I had to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on him. That’s how he survived,” she said.
When asked about the emotional toll of the incident, she said, “The events are still fresh in my mind, and they torment me. I become distressed when I recall them. To the families who lost their loved ones, I pray that God gives them strength. The past year has been difficult for all of us.”
Security guard James Maina told the court that he had just finished his patrol when he heard the boys shouting “fire!” The dormitory’s usual patron was absent after a motorcycle accident the previous day.
“The incident occurred at around 10.30 pm. I blew my whistle continuously to raise the alarm, and people started streaming in from all directions, including villagers,” he said.
He added that the dormitory had three doors, two normally left unlocked, although the boys sometimes closed them to keep mosquitoes out.
“The fire started near one of the doors, not inside the dormitory. I did not know the cause,” he said.
“When the fire broke out, we tried to save the boys by directing them to safety while others escaped through the windows,” he added.
The inquest has been adjourned until February 5 next year.
Top Stories Today
