Endarasha Fire: Emotional Moment As Parents Of Deceased Boys Weep During Memorial Service

• Parents and guardians of Hillside Endarasha Academy pupils who died in a tragic dormitory fire are attending a joint interdenominational memorial service in Nyeri county
• Emotions ran high as the parents broke down when the caskets of the 21 deceased boys were brought into the venue
• Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua joined Nyeri residents, families and friends in mourning the young souls

Parents and guardians of Hillside Endarasha Academy pupils who died in a fire that burnt down a dormitory on September 5 are attending a memorial service in Nyeri county.

The joint interdenominational funeral service for the 21 boys is currently ongoing at the Mweiga Stadium.

Parents could not hold their emotions as they broke down while caskets of their deceased children were carried into a tent at the service venue.

The families will be allowed to bury their sons after the joint memorial service.

As per the programme, Bishop Paul Wanjohi coordinated the service, leading prayers and a song service, after which the school's management presented their tribute to the deceased.

Many have paid tribute to the young boys, including their classmates.

"Dear brothers, in deep mourning and grief, we find the courage to say we have crossed many rivers before, but this one is wide, deep and torrential. May you dance with angels in heaven," one pupil read the tribute.

Church leaders comforted the families, asking God to grant them the grace to deal with the sad reality of burying the young kids.

"If you should take my child, Lord, give my hands strength to dig his grave. Cover him with earth. Lord send a little rain, for grass will grow," PCEA Moderator Thegu Mutahi cited the poem Grass will Grow, while encouraging parents not to mourn for too long.

Gachagua comforts families of Endarasha pupils

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua attended the memorial service and thanked the people of Nyeri for their unity during tough times.

He also urged the Ministry of Education to adhere to the directives issued by President Ruto on matters of safety.

"I want to ask the good Lord to give you comfort; I know it is not easy, as much as none of us welcomes death, if it were possible, it would be much better for parents to be buried by their children as opposed to parents burying their children," he said.

While consoling the bereaved, Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga urged the politicians present not to politicize but to mourn with the pupils' families.

He also affirmed that the government would investigate and determine the cause of the fire to prevent such incidents from reoccurring.

"Let us respect the memory of these children who died tragically and avoid politics on the podiums. We thank everyone who took part in organizing this session, and we will accompany the families in burying their children," Kahiga noted.

The service comes a week after chief government pathologist Johansen Oduor confirmed that the DNA samples of the 21 fire victims had been run and positively matched with their parents.

What caused Hillside Endarasha fire?

A parent of one of the pupils who survived the fire told the press that sparks from a bulb near the main dormitory door may have caused the fire at the Endarasha school.

The electrical fault is reported to have occurred in the dorm room where pupils from Grades Five to Eight slept.

The matron, a security guard, and teachers living within the school compound helped to evacuate the pupils as the fire consumed the dormitory.

Hillside Endarasha fire incident

• David Kinyua, the owner of the ill-fated school, expressed his sorrow over the demise of his pupils.
• Following the death of 21 boys, Kinyua later announced that the boarding capacity of the school would be reduced from 330 to 195 students.
• The fire incident captured both local and international attention. As such, Kenyans caused uproar when the Directorate of Criminal Investigations said no pupils were missing after the fire.

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke