By Dorothy Musyoka
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba today joined Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua at Mweiga Stadium in Nyeri County to express their heartfelt condolences to the families, friends, and relatives of the 21 young lives lost in the tragic Hillside Endarasha Academy fire.
The devastating incident has plunged the community and the nation into grief, sparking a call for action on school safety standards.
During the ceremony, CS Ogamba delivered a strong message of commitment to improving safety in all schools across the country.
“As a ministry we have made the decision that this has to be a turning point.Our schools must be safe havens for nurturing the potential of our children.Parents should not live with anxiety over the safety and security of their children in school.The children themselves must not live with concern over their safety and security in the school environment,” Education CS reiterated.
He announced the immediate launch of a nationwide audit of all public and private boarding schools to assess their compliance with the Schools Safety Standards Manual.
This critical measure is aimed at ensuring that all schools uphold the highest standards of safety for students and staff.
“We have also commissioned a nationwide audit of all public and private boarding schools to determine the level of compliance with the school safety manual that is being establish.We will take firm action to ensure compliance with the manual,” CS Ogamba said.
CS Ogamba assured Deputy President Gachagua and the gathered mourners that the Ministry of Education is committed to establishing the cause of the fire.
“We are keen to establish the cause of this tragedy, we will hold to account anyone found culpable for this tragic event,” he said.
Read more:http://Govt Can Now Account For All Students Affected at Hillside Endarasha, Says Kindiki
Also present at the ceremony were Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga, Principal Secretary for Basic Education Dr. Belio Kipsang, and other national and local leaders who came to offer their support to the grieving families.