How arsonists fooled police, set Dr Aggrey dormitory on fire

Three hooded suspected arsonists gained entry into Dr Aggrey National School in Taita Taveta County to torch the dormitory, CCTV footage has revealed.

The arsonists razed property of unknown value last Wednesday, the CCTV images, reviewed by the police, have revealed.

The suspects covered themselves with blankets and gained entry into the school through the porous fence to burn the school. 

Over 2,000 students were sent home to pave the way for investigations following the fire incident that razed to ashes a boys' dormitory accommodating about 180 students.

Questions now abound about how the suspects could have gained entry into the school and destroyed property despite the heavy presence of security personnel.

The security was deployed last Wednesday night to guard lives and property following students' unrest.

Police thwarted an attempt by the boys to set the school on fire to protest the transfer of the principal and to demand an election of the Board of Managment (BOM).

The new principal, William Mwandigha and senior education officials in the region remained mum over the issue when contacted for comment amid calls to overhaul the entire BOM members who are said to have outlived their usefulness.

However, teachers who spoke to The Standard disclosed that masked men entered the school through the porous fence and torched the dormitory.

They told The Standard that the suspects covered themselves with blankets to avert detection. “The CCTV footage has been handed over to the DCI for analysis and action,” the teachers said.

“The challenge we are having now is that the school has no fence, and it is porous. You can access the institution in different locations, putting the lives of teachers and students at risk,” noted the teachers.

Intelligence sources described the incident as a well-coordinated arson attack that caught security personnel flat-footed. The intelligence said there could be collusion between outsiders and insiders from the school as questions are being raised as to why dormitory doors were left open at the time of the incident.

“How did the suspects manage to gain entry into the school without the involvement of insiders? The police deployed were caught flat-footed, said the intelligence source.

The Taita Sub-County Security team, led by Taita Assistant County Commissioner Jackson Ng'etich, said DCI is handling the matter, which is still under investigation.

He said security personnel are still piecing together information that could lead to the arrest of the runaway suspects.

“We are calling on members of the public to volunteer information that can lead to the arrest and prosecution of the suspects. We should avoid speculation about the incident and instead give CID time to conclude their investigations,” said Mr Ng’etich.

Further, parents noted that the security of their children was at risk if the BOM failed to put up a perimeter wall around the school.

“The incident caught the security personnel flat-footed as it was well-coordinated and executed during the daytime. The suspects easily entered the school unnoticed. There are also underlying issues that should be rectified to avert future fire occurrences,” posed a senior education officer.

In addition, parents noted that the introduction of corporal punishment, harsh and brutal teachers, coupled with frequent chasing away of students for lack of school fees, has compounded the problem in the once high-performing school.

“Why is the school administration sending students home for lack of a white handkerchief, spoons and plates, among other small items?" posed a parent.

The institution that was recently elevated to national status has been in the news over frequent fire outbreaks.

So far the school has reported four fire outbreaks in the recent past. Last year, parents paid Sh5.5 million for damages after a dormitory was razed.

The school is among many learning institutions in the region without perimeter fences, making it vulnerable to attacks.

Schools, particularly public institutions, face severe challenges, including inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, and teacher shortages.

These are compounded by high student absenteeism, bullying, indiscipline problems, lack of learning materials and delayed government funding that has impeded high-quality education.

Other challenges included students' mental health being impacted by stress, academic pressure, neglect and other school-related issues.