Mass Funeral Held for 21 School Fire Victims

A mass funeral was held for 21 children who died in a boarding school fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri, Kenya, on September 6. The boys, aged between nine and 13, were trapped in their dormitory as the fire spread, sparking national mourning. Grieving relatives and classmates attended the service, where Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua expressed sorrow over the loss of 'innocent young souls.' The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but similar incidents have been linked to student protests against strict discipline and poor conditions in schools. Maryanne Mwangi, who lost her daughter in a previous fire, criticized the government's inaction to improve safety standards in schools. Education officials have ordered a safety audit in response to the tragedy, which highlights Kenya's troubling history of school fires, with over 60 reported arson cases in public secondary schools in 2018 alone.