Elburgon Secondary School in Molo Sub-County, Nakuru County, has been closed indefinitely after a fire razed one of its boys’ dormitories on Tuesday afternoon, forcing parents to collect their children as investigators moved in to establish the cause of the blaze.
The fire broke out on July 21 while students were in class, a timing that allowed all learners to evacuate safely before flames engulfed the dormitory. Police confirmed no injuries or deaths were recorded and that every student had been accounted for.
“None injured, no fatalities, and all students accounted for,” police told reporters at the scene.
Videos from Elburgon showed thick smoke rising above the school as the inferno consumed the residence hall. On noticing the fire, students rushed toward the building in a bid to save their belongings, but only a small number of mattresses and other items were pulled out before the structure was overwhelmed.
Emergency responders worked to bring the blaze under control before it could spread to neighbouring buildings, though the affected dormitory suffered heavy damage. As of Tuesday evening, the Fire Department had not established what triggered the flames, according to police.
School management announced that learning would remain suspended indefinitely to allow investigators to determine the cause of the fire, assess the extent of the damage, and plan for the safe resumption of classes.
“The institution has been closed indefinitely to allow for investigations, assessment of the damage and planning for the resumption of learning,” the school management said.
The incident is the latest in a string of dormitory fires that have rattled Kenyan schools in recent months, reviving painful memories of past tragedies. In 2024, a fire in a Nyeri County primary boarding school killed 21 students, while in 2001, 67 schoolboys died in a Machakos County dormitory blaze set by fellow students.
A 2024 Ministry of Education safety review found that many dormitories nationwide had window grilles, single exits, and inward-opening doors, all of which compromised occupants’ safety in emergencies. The ministry subsequently ordered the immediate closure of 348 non-compliant schools.
The Elburgon fire comes days after Chianda Boys High School in Siaya County was shut on July 11 following its second fire in under a month, underscoring persistent concerns over dormitory safety standards across the country’s boarding institutions.
