According to a preliminary report seen by Capital FM News, the initial plan was to burn the dormitory on August 31, some two days after students reported back to school from home/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 8- Details have emerged of how last week’s arson attack at Moi Girls High School in Nairobi was planned and finally executed, leading to loss of nine lives while tens of students sustained injuries.
According to a preliminary report seen by Capital FM News, the initial plan was to burn the dormitory on August 31, some two days after students reported back to school from home.
But the plan could not have materialised since “there were a lot of movements that night” distracting the evil scheme until September 2, when it was finally implemented, leaving a disastrous outcome.
Detectives privy to the ongoing investigations say sanitizer, a cleaning detergent and perfumes were used to intensify the fire which worrying details revealing it started in multiple places.
The fire started in four different places within the crowded dormitory, named Kabarnet, and according to a report by Kenya Power, it was not the result of an electric fault.
“Most of those who died suffocated before they were burnt,” the detective pointed out.
According to student testimonials, including those from the lead suspect currently in police custody, the fire was quickly spreading and that is why there was a high number of fatalities.
Details have emerged of a five-member WhatsApp group extracted from the lead suspect’s phone, which show the incident was planned during the holiday.
According to the phone details, the 14-year-old girl was categorical that she intended to burn the school for a variety of reasons among them her hatred for the institution which she had been struggling to leave.
– WhatsApp group details –
In the WhatsApp group, the five members, all students at the institution discussed the incident.
The suspect in police custody, according to the thread was more vocal and seemed irritated.
“I will burn the school,” reads one of the messages.
Another says, “I will burn the school because my parents refused to take me to (names of the school withheld). I want to do something that will shock them.”
The suspect is also said to have a passion for writing, a fact she has also admitted.
“She has been writing about magic and cults…disturbing material,” the detective told Capital FM News.
– Suspect saved friends –
The suspect in police custody, the report reveals, called two of her friends and left the dormitory for safety.
One of her friends was near her bed while the other one was upstairs.
When asked why she didn’t raise alarm for the rest of her colleagues to wake up and rush outside, detectives say she said that “it did not occur to my mind at that point.”
The dormitory had 336 students, a majority of them being first years.
– Focus of the probe –
The fire started from four different places, was it lit by one student or more?
Is there any official in the school who had been cautioned about an imminent arson attack? The incident was initially planned to happen on Thursday, August 31.
Did the official take any precautionary measure? If yes, which one, and if not, why?
These are some of the questions detectives hope to answer if they will launch a successful litigation that will mean justice will be served to the victims of the incident.
The school which has an estimated 1,183 students has been closed for two weeks to facilitate investigations on the incident where more than 50 students were injured with two having 50 per cent burns.
-DNA results –
The families of the nine students are currently awaiting the outcome of DNA tests for positive identification since they were burnt beyond recognition.
According to pathologists carrying out the exercise, the outcome is likely to be known in 2-3 weeks.
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